Sorrowful Peace
by Knowledgeseeker66
Summary: The final battle had reached its conclusion. The world had been saved by an unlikely force. For the time being, peace had come to the land. Unfortunately, there's a price for everything. This peace was no exception. Not everyone would be able to enjoy it. Eleanor Hume understood that fact all too well.
1. Price of Peace

**Author Notes** : I would like to welcome you all to a pilot chapter of a new story. This will be my second story based on Tales of Berseria. The game was so great that it gave me multiple ideas for different stories. Primarily, they are mini-series stories, but it doesn't change my enthusiasm to write Tales of Berseria stories, especially involving Veleanor which is not only my favorite pairing of the game, but one of my favorite video game pairings. They seemed to be meant for each other.

I used a good deal of the content that composes this chapter as part of the Tales of Femslash Week 2017. I was originally intending to write this chapter from the start, but the Tales of Femslash made it easier to accomplish since I was able to write rough drafts for future scenes as writing prompts. It made producing this chapter far easier and doable for me. I wanted to produce something in time for the anniversary for "Tales of Berseria" and here it is.

Believe it or not, it has been exactly a year since Tales of Berseria was released in Japan. We had about a five month gap before it was released in the West, but the gap was greatly decreased compared to the previous releases in recent years. They have stated in interviews numerous times, they want to close the gap further, and I hope they do. It'll make it easier to avoid accidentally reading spoilers from a random website.

When I'm on Youtube, I didn't even have to ask about Tales of Berseria, but my history makes it clear I like the Tales series, so videos related to them do occasionally show up on my 'Suggested' list. That can be a problem sometimes. Thankfully, I was able to avoid spoiler videos among many things, so I wasn't spoiled on the various plotlines and the ending.

Hopefully, one day there can be a release similar to Tales of Vesperia and there can be a near worldwide release within a month. Based on how well the Tales brand along with other JRPGs and/or Anime related video games are apparently doing in the West now, I wouldn't be surprised if someday that is possible or they do what they can to make it possible.

As usual, I hope you'll all enjoy reading this first chapter of the story. I hope you'll leave feedback because I'd greatly appreciate it.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter One: Price of Peace

/

Nothing can be free

A price must always be paid

What did it cost you?

/

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.

Birds could be seen in the trees or flying in the sky above without a care in the world. Their sounds were enough to fill the forest. It was a sound that anyone would wish to listen to. Assuming the said person had the mind to listen.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The only other sound besides the birds and the wind was the sound of a horse carrying a lone rider along the path. She was wearing a dark cloak with a hood that covered her head. Her horse was moving slowly along the path even though she could easily have it gallop.

Normally, it would be unadvisable for a traveler to go off on their own let alone in the forest. However, recent events had caused a massive decline in the number of Daemons. The world was at a state of relative peace for the time being. Unfortunately, even the most optimistic person understood that this 'peace' wouldn't last. The ' **Malevolence'** within everyone would ensure that. However, the people would try to enjoy it while it lasted and rebuild what they could.

The sounds of birds chirping was soothing. Seeing a rabbit or squirrel run across the forest floor was a welcomed sight. However, she didn't try following them with her eyes. Her head was down, and she was hardly paying the path any mind.

Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.

As the rider continued her journey down the path, a familiar sound caused her ears to perk up. She turned her head, and she noticed a family of prickleboars grazing about. The rider turned her horse so she could get a better look at them. Even from afar, she could see it was a family of five. A father, a mother, and three little ones. She wasn't sure what they were doing, but if she had to guess, the parents were teaching their young how to survive.

The rider couldn't help but smile and tilt her head as she continued to observe them from afar. Even as she remained in the same spot, the prickleboar family had no reaction to her presence. They either didn't notice her, or they could sense she posed no threat. That alone kept the smile on her face alive.

After observing the prickleboar family for a few moments, the rider looked down and sighed. With her right hand she pulled two items from her pocket under the cloak. They were a hair comb broken in two and a mirror. The rider sighed again before putting them back in her pocket. She then turned her horse and continued toward her destination.

There was nothing to block her way as her horse continued to trot along. The rider could close her eyes and breathe in the fresh hair without any worries. This was what peace was. This is what peace felt like. This is also what it sounded like. It was a wonderful but fleeting sensation. Regardless, it was still one to cherish, especially since not everyone could enjoy it. The rider's destination was proof of that.

Before long, the rider finally reached her destination. The entrance gate to the once proud village of **Aball**. A village once filled with life that had been decimated on the night of the **Advent**. There were only two survivors that night. Technically there were five depending if you counted a pair of dogs and someone who had been reincarnated. Whether you did or not, it didn't matter. There was no one left to tell the tale. It caused the rider heartache thinking about it as she clenched her chest. She looked down at her hand and then shook her head. She took a deep breath as she looked upon Aball's front gate.

The rider got off her horse and removed her hood. She revealed herself to be none other than **Eleanor Hume**. She was a former exorcist of the Abbey who served under the **Shepherd** **Artorius Collbrande**. Due to circumstances, Eleanor was also the former servant, traveling companion, and eventual significant other to **Velvet Crowe** , the **Lord of Calamity** , and Eleanor had become a 'traitor' to the Abbey because of her new 'allegiance.' Circumstances changed for Eleanor again and again, especially after the final battle, but that was not why she was here.

Eleanor Hume was wearing a black cloak over her usual Exorcist uniform. Her hair was not tied up in her trademark pigtails. Instead, her long, red hair fell straight down in a disheveled and unkempt manner. Without tying it, her hair reached the middle of her back. Her hair lofted in the breeze as she stood between the gate and her horse.

"…" Eleanor stood there for a few moments as she stared at the gate in front of her. She knew that no one would open the gate for her, but she had difficulty taking the next step. She took another breath before finally moving forward.

Eleanor slowly approached the gate and opened it herself. Pulling it open required some effort, but once she nudged it open, it was easy after that. When Eleanor opened the gate, she took her horse by the reins as she led it to a familiar sight. It was a village filled with buildings and shops, but there were no people to occupy them.

The village was devoid of all sentient life except for her and the horse. Eleanor had seen this sight before, but she wasn't alone last time. She felt a shiver crawl up her spine as she gripped her horse's reins tightly while leading her through the desolated village.

"Come on girl." Eleanor softly said out loud to the horse.

As Eleanor and her horse made their way through the village, her eyes darted between the empty buildings and paths. She thought back to the glimpse or more accurately the ' **dream illusion** ' she had seen. Through that, Eleanor briefly witnessed how this village was filled with life. People were happy, and they all knew each other. People like Niko always showed concern over the troubles that plagued their friends. Eleanor could see why Velvet loved Aball so much. It was small, but it was comfortable. A great place to raise a family. Just like her village was.

Despite what happened, the village was still in good shape. The buildings were intact and livable. There was hardly any physical evidence it had been infested with Daemons nearly four years ago. If people didn't know better, it'd be easy to assume the village folk either fled or moved due to bandit or Daemon activity and left their possessions behind in a rush. However, Eleanor knew the awful truth. She learned it from Velvet Crowe herself, and it correlated with other things she learned and witnessed throughout their journey.

The more Eleanor thought about Aball, the more she understood that it wasn't too different from what happened to her village long ago. The main difference was how Velvet and Eleanor ended up. Velvet was simply more 'unfortunate' than her. Eleanor closed her eyes and bit her lip at the thought. Her mind refocused on the 'current reality'. She continued to guide her horse though this lifeless village.

Even though Eleanor walked slowly, she inevitably arrived at her destination. At the end of the village stood a lonely home that belonged to the Crowe family. Now it stood here without anyone to lay claim or tend to it as seen by the state of the yard. The grass grew uncontrollably, the bushes had grown beyond proportion, and nature was set to start reclaiming the ground the building occupied.

Eleanor secured her horse by a tree before her eyes gazed upon the grave stones nearby. They belonged to Velvet's parents as well as her older sister, Celica, and Celica's unborn child. All their lives ended long before they should have. It was as if some Divine being had cursed this family with everlasting misfortune.

"Hmph …" Eleanor thought back to the cliff and what had once been there. She shook her head and muttered, "It's not right …" She briefly gritted her teeth and curled her fingers into a fist as she cursed, "Damn Innomiant …"

When Eleanor looked at the grave again, she felt a need to let the newfound anger simmer down. After taking a moment, she walked to the grave site and looked down at it for a few moments. She did not have any words to say other than closing her eyes and remaining still. Afterwards, she then walked a few feet away from it, and she settled on a spot.

Eleanor gathered a few nearby stones and place them together a few feet to the left of the grave. She piled them on top of each other to form a mini-pyramid. After she was done, she stepped away and looked down at it.

"…" Eleanor closed her eyes and remained silent once again. The only sound that could she heard was from her horse and the breeze of the wind that lightly moved her hair.

Eleanor opened her eyes and sheepish spoke, "Well … this is a little more awkward than I thought it'd be. I'm … I'm really not sure what to say."

There was no one there to respond to Eleanor's words, so she did her best to think of something else. "Well … I made this for you. I know you're not actually dead, but still I … I'm not even sure if I did the right thing by setting it up here."

Eleanor put her hands behind her back and glanced away from the 'grave' as she admitted, "I thought about doing this by the Empyrean Throne, but you know … That's were La … I mean Maotelus is. I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to erect a grave there. Instead, I figured it might be better to have it here by your family in your home village. I … I thought you'd like that."

"…" Eleanor remained silent for a few moments as her teeth lightly bit her lip. Her lips were slowly quivering, and she could feel water beginning to build up in her eyes again. Eleanor then bowed her head in front of the 'grave' and apologized, "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Eleanor's voice was higher than it had been, and eyes remained tightly shut to prevent any tears from breaking through. "I know it's not much, but I'll get you something better someday! You deserve something better than a few rocks, but it's the best I can do right now! I'm sorry!"

Once again there was no response. She knew not to expect one, but she felt as if she should expect to hear something. Instead, all she could hear was the sound of leaves and the breeze. Eleanor stood up straight again as her eyes remained focused on the makeshift grave.

"Speaking of Maotelus, I …" Eleanor put her hands behind her back and she shifted her head to the right as she took her eyes off the grave again. "… I wanted to give you a report on that." Eleanor looked at the grave again. "The promise I made you … back on the ship … I'm doing my best … my best to keep the promise I made. Like I said, I made an oath to follow your orders until my dying day, but I know I'd keep this promise even without that Oath. To think when I first made that promise I …"

Eleanor interrupted herself as she placed her hand on her neck. She then bit her lip and shook her head as she bitterly remarked, "That was a long time ago. I'm not like that anymore." Eleanor stopped shaking her head and continued, "Things changed since then. I've done my best to keep the promise. It might not be what you had in mind, but that's how things worked out for better or worse. I will continue to do so."

"There's also … well another thing I wanted to do as well. Something … for you …" Eleanor felt uneasy as she spoke. "Ah huff …" Eleanor took a breath as she put her hand in her cloak where she pulled out a bottle of alcohol. She smile as she remarked in an amused tone, "You know, Rokurou told me about how you'd always refuse to have a drink because you were 19." Eleanor chuckled, "Heh. Honestly, that must've been the ' **one time** ' you obeyed the law, but I guess that's you." Eleanor continued to chuckle. "Heh. Heh."

"Anyway …" Eleanor put her hand on the top of the bottle as she said to the grave, "I looked up some stuff on you Velvet and well … I know you're not 19 anymore." Eleanor uncapped the bottle and held it over the grave. "I also know that some cultures, including this village, consider you old enough at 20, so here's to that." Eleanor turned the bottle and the alcohol came pouring on top of the rocks.

Eleanor watched the liquid drenched the rocks before stopping and quietly saying to herself, "Happy Birthday Velvet."

The bottle had about half its contents left when Eleanor stopped pouring. She held it right side up and replugged it. "Hmph …" Eleanor couldn't help but smile at the makeshift grave that was now covered in alcohol as she remarked, "If you're gonna ask me how I got this, you can say this was a time I choose to break the law heh … heh … heh …"

Eleanor's chuckling bitterly died down as she continued to look down at the makeshift grave. "It still feels weird doing this. I …" Eleanor briefly stuttered as she said, "… I know you're not actually dead, but … but what I saw up there … it feels like you are. I'm not going to see you again am I?"

As soon as Eleanor said that, she could feel the breeze move across the back of her neck and move the hair hanging behind her. "No." Eleanor closed her eyes and curled her fingers into a fist as she said, "I already know the answer to that. I won't … I'll never see you again. That's how things ended up."

"I … I know it won't change anything now, but I …" Eleanor moved her head and opened her eyes to look towards the sky as she said out loud, "I wish there could've been another way. Was that really the only thing that could've been done? We couldn't do anything else? Part of me keeps saying maybe, but I keep playing back what happened that day again and again in my head. When I …" Eleanor hesitantly continued to speak, "… When I try to think of something else, I know things could've ended worse. There's a good chance none of us would be alive now. I couldn't say, but we'll never know now …"

Eleanor looked back down at the grave before moving her head down to looking at the ground before confessing, "I … I don't know if you can hear me or not Velvet, but if you can, I want you to know … I'm glad you kicked my butt too. If you hadn't done that, so many things wouldn't have happened. Chances are I'd probably be dead by now if I won." Eleanor looked further down at the ground as she sorrowfully said, "… So would Laphicet and everyone else. What happened that night is what allowed everything else to happen. I could've inadvertently been responsible of destroying the world if I defeated you that day. Knowing what I know now makes me glad I lost."

"Heh …" Eleanor bitterly chuckled as she lightly kicked at the ground below her as she commented, "For someone called the 'Lord of Calamity' it's amazing you ended up being the one who saved the world. If this whole world knew that, I think the irony would literally kill them, but I guess I don't need to tell you that. You said for yourself how they all believed in the Shepherd. They'd never know the whole truth. They'll only see you as a monster."

Eleanor turned her head to look at the Crowe household before remarking, "I guess if it's any consolation pretty much everyone besides us has no idea the 'Lord of Calamity's' real name was Velvet Crowe. The ones who do are either dead or on our side." Eleanor looked at the grave again before finishing, "Something tells me that's good enough for you."

Suddenly Eleanor could feel her eyes beginning to well up again. Eleanor lightly touched the corners of both her eyes with her right hand.

"Sniff … I …" Eleanor lightly bit her lip again. "Sniff … I wish … I wish you were still here Velvet. I know what you said to me on the Van Eltia, but I still didn't know what you planned to do. I wish you told us … told me … It might not have made a difference, but … I wish we could've tried thinking of another way. Maybe there really wasn't. I don't know … I … Ugh …" Eleanor put her hand on her forehead as she asked, "why did it have to turn out like this? Did you know it was going to end like that? You didn't want me to get hurt? Is that why?"

"…" Once again there was no response to her questions.

"There I go again …" Eleanor shook her head. "I'm just going in a circle. I won't get anywhere like this." Eleanor bowed her head in front of the grave and apologized, "I'm sorry for that."

When Eleanor raised her head she remarked, "Anyway, I guess if you can hear me, you're getting bored of hearing me talk for so long. We can talk more tomorrow. It's starting to get a little late anyway." Eleanor looked towards the setting sun. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I stayed in your old place. I'll try to tidy things up before I turn in. I'm sure you'd like someone cleaning it a little."

"…" Eleanor knew there'd be no answer as she turned around. She made sure her horse was secure before walking toward the house.

Creak! Creak! Creak!

Eleanor opened the door to the Crowe household which stood as the only remaining legacy left behind by the family. The lonely home was covered in dust. Eleanor could hear her footsteps echo in the empty home. Eleanor sighed at the sight of it. She had seen for herself through the Earthpulse memories how lively this home once was. Now it was a shadow of its former self with no one to care of it.

"Ah huff …" Eleanor sighed again and brushed her hand through her hair. She saw the sunlight was still burning bright outside. She kept her word and attempted to clean some of the house as best as she could. She figured she might as well since she would be using this place to stay the night. When she began cleaning, the large amount of dirt and dust caused Eleanor to cough on at least one occasion.

While she was cleaning, Eleanor walked into Velvet's old room. The former exorcist stared at Velvet's old bed before patting it down which caused dust to fly off. It was enough to cause a dust cloud.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Eleanor covered her mouth as she began coughing heavily with one hand and waved the dust away with the other. When she was done coughing, she grabbed the sheets and pillows then shook them outside. She then placed the sheets and pillows on the dining room table while she took care to dust every part of Velvet's room. Eleanor smiled at her work. She may've lacked the tools to make it as good as new, but it was presentable.

Afterwards, Eleanor continued cleaning other parts of the house until her stomach began to grumble. She checked to see if the kitchen could still be used, and she saw there was some good firewood left in the fireplace. It had been there for a 'long' time, but it was still useable. She was able to make a good meal with the supplies she bought. Before she knew it, sun had long since set, and it was time to go to sleep.

"Yawn." Eleanor's mouth was wide open as she could feel sleep beckoning her. She made sure the fire and all the lights were out. Eleanor walked over to Velvet's old bed, removed her Exorcist uniform and put on the sleepwear she brought with her. She then slipped under the covers. She could feel herself welcome sleep as she slowly closed her eyes.

As soon as Eleanor closed her eyes, she could feel a breeze in her hair and face. The surface she was lying on was not the soft bed she went to sleep on. It felt hard, solid, and moist. Eleanor slowly opened her eyes to see a bright blue sky above her.

"Huh?" Eleanor's eyes widened. Her head sprang up and her eyes quickly scanned the area to see she was lying on a field covered in grass. She slowly stood up unsure what to make of the situation. She looked around to see there was nothing but meadow and more meadow.

"Hello!" Eleanor called out, "Is anyone there? Hello!"

As Eleanor looked for someone, her ears perked up when she heard something behind her. She wasn't sure at first, but it sounded like water crashing onto rocks. Eleanor turned around to see a cliff she did not see earlier. It was as if the landscape shifted. The meadow area ended with the rocks by the cliff.

Eleanor could hear the sound of water hitting the cliff. As she gazed at the newly appeared cliff from afar she could see someone standing at the edge. It was hard to see who it was, but Eleanor felt an unmistakable familiarity with the unknown person which caused her to step forward. Her body felt as if it was moving on her own to get closer.

As Eleanor approached the figure, her eyes widened. She was sure the person had long, black, unkempt hair that reached to her feet, and she wore a black cloak.

"It … It can't be …" Eleanor momentarily paused in disbelief before picking up the pace. "Velvet!" Eleanor raised her voice as she ran to the cliff. "Velvet!"

"…" There was no response or movement from the girl staring out to the ocean.

Eleanor slowed down and stopped when she reached the rocks. She said, "Velvet!" That's you right? Right? You're here right?"

The girl kept her back to Eleanor, but there was no mistaking it. That was Velvet's appearance. No doubt about it. When the girl spoke, it was the voice that Eleanor remembered. "I see that you're doing well Eleanor. I'm glad to see that."

Eleanor softly said, "Velvet …"

Velvet kept staring forward and her back remained facing toward Eleanor. Velvet shook her head as she said, "You're trying to talk to me, but I can't hear you. Your voice can't reach me."

"What?" Eleanor's eyes widened again as she asked in disbelief, "What're you talking about?"

"You're probably confused right now aren't you?" Velvet looked down the ocean below her and told Eleanor, "I … I'm sorry. That's all I can say."

"But Vel … AH!' Eleanor tried to step closer to Velvet only for her head to hit into some kind of wall. "What the?" Eleanor put her hand forward to feel a surface. "A wall? A barrier? How?"

"I'm glad you're okay Eleanor." Velvet's voice sounded sincere as she spoke "I'm also glad that you're doing your best to take care of Phi. That means a lot to me. Promises are important after all. I of all people know that."

"Velvet …" Eleanor said again as she leaned on the invisible barrier.

"…" Velvet slightly turned her head, but it wasn't enough for Eleanor to see Velvet's face. "… As weird as it may sound. I appreciate the grave. It was … It was a nice gesture. It's human … Thank you." Eleanor could hear the soft touch of genuine gratefulness in Velvet's voice. A voice that had occurred more often toward the end of the journey. This was Velvet Crowe. No doubt about it.

"Velvet!" Eleanor on the barrier with both and an attempted to push on it before her head suddenly felt a strange sense of dizziness. Her head began spinning as she repeated, "Vel … Velvet …"

Velvet sighed and replied in a resigned tone, "I guess we're out of time. No surprise there. Take care of yourself out there Eleanor. Don't get yourself killed."

Eleanor could feel her legs give out as he feel to her knees. She weakly called out as she continued leaning on the barrier, "Vel … vet …" Eleanor's eyes closed and the dream faded.

"Good night Eleanor." Those were the last words Eleanor could hear as the darkness took over.

/

 **Author Notes** : This is another mini-series related to Veleanor that I planned on posting as well. The idea of it came about at the same time I was working on the first chapter for "Spoken and Unspoken Words", but I was able to post a chapter for that first while the ideas of this story remained in the planning stage. However, that changed due to the Tales of Femslash Week happening a few weeks after the posting of "Spoken and Unspoken Words" first chapter.

While I wanted to publish a new chapter of "Spoken and Unspoken Words" for the anniversary, my schedule didn't make that possible. It was easier for me to produce this chapter due to it being more written and outlined than the other. While the next chapter for "Spoken and Unspoken Words" hasn't been produced yet, I do have something else that you might like as well. I commissioned Manu-chann to produce a few pages for the manga adaptation of the story. Be sure to check them out on her Devianart page.

I mentioned before that this chapter was composed of writing prompts I used in Tales of Femslash Week 2017. The two prompt themes were 'Dreams' and 'Tragedy'. Assuming you either participated in that or read them when I posted them, you'll see much of what I wrote then is similar to what you see now. However, there are noticeable differences. There are extensions along with things being changed around. I also made sure to fix any initial errors that appeared in the original writing prompts as well.

In regards to Eleanor's appearance, I was partly inspired by the final scenes of Samurai Jack Season Five. As it turns out, in Feudal-era Japan, having your hair unraveled is meant to symbolize bereavement. I figured having Eleanor lose her trademark ponytails would be a perfect indication of her mourning.

While we all know what happens to Eleanor in the epilogue, you can consider this to be an interquel between the events of the final battle and when we see Eleanor in the epilogue, especially due to Eleanor being in a relationship with Velvet prior to the final battle. Not to mention, we do get a close up of Eleanor crying after what Velvet does. I wanted to utilize that for this story.

My plan is to update both this and "Spoken and Unspoken Words" in the future. I hope you all enjoyed reading this story. I would greatly appreciate feedback. See you next time.


	2. Unexpected Company

**Author Notes** : My fanfiction updates for 2017 will conclude with an update of this story. At first I wasn't expecting this story to be the one that I would provide my final 2017 update for, but it ended up being the case. While I have been busy with other stories and things in the real world, I wanted to ensure this story would continue. I planned to update this story with a second chapter before 2017 was completed, and I'm happy that I succeeded with that goal.

I'm glad that this story had received positive feedback. I was hoping that some fans would enjoy this version of what happened after the final battle. The first chapter wrote itself. Due to Eleanor tearing up when Velvet was committing her sacrifice, it was easy to guess how Eleanor would be if she and Velvet had been an item prior to their eternal departure. I felt satisfied that I was able to get into Eleanor's head with how she was mourning for her significant other.

The ending of the previous chapter was satisfying to me. I liked that I had Velvet appear to Eleanor in that dream sequence. It was great having Velvet and Eleanor still having a 'connection' of some kind even after what happened. While the connection is unknown at this time, it was great writing it.

If **Tales of Zestiria the X** is any indication, Velvet is capable is speaking to people in their dreams. She was able to briefly speak to Sorey in Episode 23, and she told him to press onward. I'm guessing being able to connect through dreams might be canonically possible since something like that did sort of happen in the manga as well. However, I'm sure it can only happen when certain conditions are met. I'm sure there are probably some rules required for this to be accomplished, but unless this is discussed we'll never know. Chances are they might never reveal what the conditions are because they don't want to downplay how awesome that moment was or the mystery of what happened.

As usual, I hope you will all enjoy reading this chapter. Please be sure to leave a comment/review. I greatly appreciate the feedback.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Two: Unexpected Company

/

Nightmares shall haunt me

After dark comes the daylight

Can salvation come?

/

"AHHH!" Eleanor's cries echoed throughout the empty Crowe family home as she catapulted from her once peaceful sleep.

"Ah … huff … Ah … huff …" Eleanor breathed heavily as her mind attempted to register what was going on. She looked around the room before she could remember that she was staying in what was left of Velvet's home.

Everything was coming back to her. Eleanor remembered she traveled back to Aball. She created a 'grave' to honor Velvet and 'celebrated' her birthday. Then she stayed the night at Velvet's old home before finally going to sleep. It was then she experienced 'the dream'. A dream that Eleanor could remember so vividly.

It has been said that most people forget dreams within the first few minutes of waking up. However, that was not the case here. Eleanor could remember every detail. She could remember what she saw, what she felt, and who was there. She could see it all in her head. As plain as she could see what was in front of her now.

As Eleanor laid sitting upright on the bed, she could feel a chill come over her. Her body felt wet and sticky as if she had been covered in slime. Eleanor put her hand on her forehead, and she could feel the cold sweat. She then realized her entire body was covered in it. Her skin was sticking to her clothes. The icky sensation of her sweat acting as an adhesive was far from pleasant. She could feel that the bed was becoming saturated as well, so she decided to get up.

It went without saying that despite this home being in disrepair for the past four years, Eleanor was grateful there was still usable water. She was able to clean herself off, but she would need to clean the sheets and her clothes. She hoped that she could find a place outside to clean them without needing to worry about any of the leftover Daemons. Not to mention, she was hoping that going outside might help her alleviate the sense of dread she was still feeling in her core after what she could remember.

Eleanor left with the sheets and clothes in hand as her eyes were greeted by the morning sun. She winced and looked away as her eyes attempted to adjust to the light. When Eleanor walked out, she could hear the birds chirping again and feel the morning breeze in the air. Life was continuing onward as if nothing had happened. Once again, Eleanor was reminded of that reality. It doesn't matter who is left. Life continues on. Or at least Velvet allowed it to continue. Allowed for them all to continue.

After Eleanor's eyes adjusted to the light, she looked towards the rocks and sighed. She softly said to herself, "Velvet …"

"Looks like someone had a hard time sleeping last night." A familiar high pitched voice came from out of nowhere.

Eleanor's ears perked as her eyes darted throughout the area. She couldn't see the source until the voice spoke again, "You might want to look up here." Eleanor then looked up to see it was none other than the familiar witch.

"Magilou?!" Eleanor exclaimed in surprise.

Magilou grinned as she jumped down from the tree and landed in front of Eleanor which caused Eleanor to take a step back. The witch took a bow as she happily proclaimed, "The one and only."

Eleanor immediately asked, "What're you doing here?"

"Oh come now." Magilou shrugged her shoulders as she casually remarked, "Is that anyway to speak to an old friend? We haven't seen each other since the whole Innomiant situation was handled."

"Exactly!" Eleanor demanded to know, "Where have you been? What happened after you left? What are you doing here?"

"Hmm?" Magilou grinned as she commented, "Interesting. Were you that worried about me?"

Eleanor suddenly shouted, "Of course I was!"

"!" The mischievous grin Magilou had always been known for had disappeared as she was taken aback by Eleanor's voice.

E … Everyone ... they …" Eleanor's body shook as she held onto the sheets and clothes tightly to her chest Underneath the laundry, Eleanor clenched her fingers into a fist as her voice trembled, "V- Velvet … she … Velvet's gone …" Eleanor's voice trembled less as she continued to speak, "Laphicet became Maotelus. Eizen went off to enjoy what time he had left with Aifred's pirates before they couldn't see him anymore. Rokurou went off to fight strong opponents to see if he can find another rival." Eleanor groaned at the thought, "Ugh … He'll probably get himself killed out there."

"…" Magilou remained silent as Eleanor continued to speak.

Eleanor's voice began to tremble again, "I … They … At least I know what happened to them after. But you … You just disappeared out of the blue. At least Eizen and Rokurou had the decency to say goodbye." Eleanor raised her voice again as she demanded the same answers, "Where the hell did you go?! I've been worried!"

"…" Magilou's widened eyes returned to normal as she remarked, "I probably should've expected you to react like that."

Eleanor sharply replied, "You really should've by now."

Magilou stated with sincerity in her voice, "Well to answer one of your questions, I've been doing a little writing."

"Writing?" Eleanor inquired, "What kind of writing?" 

Magilou answered, "Stories and some such. I'll let you read some of it later if you want." 

"Hmm …" Eleanor seemed like she would take Magilou up on that offer. She then remembered she still had the laundry in her hands.

"Anyway, I've been keeping my eye on things." Magilou had her usual grin as she slyly stated, "I then happened to catch wind it was certain someone's birthday and a certain other someone was heading to her village."

The space between Eleanor's eyebrows narrowed as lines began to form on her forehead. "Have you been following me?"

"Well …" Magilou sheepishly stated, "I wouldn't really put it like that, but-"

"Yes she has Madam Eleanor." A high pitched voice could be heard interrupting much to Magilou's dismay. It belonged to a creature who had the appearance of a stuffed toy. The creature purple skin, white belly spot, red wings, and a top hat that covered the top half of his face like a mask that even had eyeholes. He bowed his head as he apologized, "I'm really sorry."

"Bienfu!" Magilou gripped her fingers as her voice became irritated. She then poked the side of his face rather hard as she told the little creature, "You really pick the worst times to open that big mouth of yours."

"Bieeen ~!" Bienfu cried out before retreating and disappearing into light which traveled back into Magilou's body.

"…" Eleanor stared blankly at the display before stating, "Look Magilou. If you want to keep talking to me, then walk and talk. I really want to take care of this laundry."

"No need for that." Magilou happily offered, "I can take care of that with my magic."

"Um …" Eleanor hesitantly asked, "Wouldn't that be overdoing it?"

"No need for concern." Magilou looked to the side as she pulled out her card and a magic circle appeared around her as she conjured a mini-plateau of rock

"…" Eleanor reluctantly placed the clothes and sheets on the plateau.

Magilou held the card again as magic circles formed around her once more. Suddenly a rush of water hit both the blanket and clothes. Sure enough the laundry was completely drenched.

The witch happily said, "Well that's that."

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned, "I think you overdid it."

"What difference does it make?" Magilou grinned as she remarked, "It's wet isn't it?"

"Good grief." Magilou rubbed her forehead.

"Now we just need to dry it." Magilou held up her hand.

"No." Eleanor put her hand in front of Magilou. "I think I'll just air dry them the old fashion way."

Magilou shrugged, "Suit yourself."

Eleanor moved away from Magilou as she set up a clothes line for the laundry. As Eleanor was doing so, Magilou softly spoke to herself, "I guess I underestimated my ability to leave a lasting impression on someone."

"Don't be like that Miss Magilou." Bienfu appeared again as he said, "You had a lot of fun with this group."

"Well …" Magilou grinned as she remarked, "They definitely kept me entertained for a while, especially Velvet."

"Would you have wanted to stay with them if you could Miss Magilou?" Bienfu asked.

"Hmm …" Magilou scratched her chin as she stated, "I suppose there are worst groups I could've spent my time with."

/

As Eleanor patted down the wet laundry, her eyes were brought over to the rocks she compiled together. When her eyes locked onto them, she had difficulty moving her head away from them. They felt like they had a hold on her, and she was unable to move.

Eleanor was frozen in place until the sound of Magilou's voice freed her, "Nice grave you made there."

"Wha-" Eleanor uneasily replied, "What're you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that pile of rubble you put together over there." Magilou pointed at with her right thumb. "It wasn't there the last time we were here. It doesn't take much to figure that you put that together."

"Shut up!" Eleanor defensively stated, "I know it's not much, but I didn't have anything to make a proper one! I'll do something better when I can!"

"Hey now. I wasn't being sarcastic." Magilou stated, "It was definitely a nice gesture on your part for Velvet."

"What …?" Eleanor's mouth was left slightly agape in surprise at what Magilou was saying.

Magilou put her hand on her chest as she remarked, "Even I can be genuine sometimes Eleanor. Seriously. Do you think everything I say is sarcastic or rude?"

"Hmph." Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone, "That's kinda the summary of your personality in general."

"Hmph." Magilou casually shrugged as she replied, "Touché. Regardless, I **do** think it is a good gesture on your part." Magilou looked towards the makeshift grave as she remarked, "I'm not sure how much Velvet would like it, but it really shows how much you care for her."

"Well …" Eleanor held her hand to her chest as she looked to the ground and softly said out loud, "She said she liked it …"

"Hmm?" Magilou looked in Eleanor's direction with eyebrows raised as she inquired, "What was that?"

"Oh!" Eleanor raised a hand over her mouth as she attempted to wave off her previous comment, "It's nothing! Nothing at all!"

"Liar." Bienfu appeared in front of Eleanor as he rebuked her, "You just said 'She said she liked it'."

"Really?" Magilou's eyebrows lowered as the mischievous grin reemerged, "She said that?"

"Yep." Bienfu confirmed with a nod. "I heard it loud in clear."

Magilou stroked her chin. "Interesting. Care to elaborate Eleanor?"

"Well …" Eleanor took a step back and put her hands behind her back as she averted her eyes from the witch. "I don't really know where to start …"

Magilou's curiosity was piqued by this observation. "That makes it even more interesting. Hmm …" Magilou leaned forward as she observed the former exorcist. She quickly came to the speculation, "Might it have something to do with why you seemed to have trouble sleeping?"

"!" Eleanor had not response to that, but her widened eyes and mouth being left agape was all the answer Magilou needed.

"Mmm. Hmph." Magilou's smile grew like the Cheshire cat as she stated, "I'll take that as a yes." Magilou took a step forward. "Now. How should we-"

 **Growl!**

Before Magilou could continue with another word, a loud growling sound could be heard coming from her stomach. She bit her lip as she put her hand on her stomach. It was as if she was so preoccupied with the fun she was having she forgot she was supposed to be hungry.

"Heh." Eleanor chuckled slightly as she offered, "I'll make some breakfast first. We can talk about it while we eat."

"Hmph." Magilou smiled as she began to chuckle as well. "Heh. Heh. Sounds like a good idea to me."

/

After they were inside the Crowe Family home, Eleanor didn't waste time to put on breakfast for the both of them. While Eleanor was cooking, Magilou looked at the old home. It was as she remembered it when they visited Aball outside of the 'dream world'. Magilou could see that the tabled appeared to be free of dust unlike many other parts of the home. She slid her finger on the table to see there was not a speck of dust on it unlike when she slid her finger on one of the chairs. She dusted it off before she sat on it.

While Magilou waited for the food to be ready, she tapped on the table before commenting, "I gotta say Eleanor. You really look different. I had a hard time recognizing you."

"You did?" Eleanor asked in surprise as she continued to cook breakfast. I'm still wearing my Exorcist uniform."

"Yes. It is **distinct** , but I'm not talking about what you're wearing." Magilou pointed at Eleanor and clarified, "I'm talking about your hair."

"…" Eleanor lightly bit her lip as she asked without looking at Magilou, "Something wrong with it?"

"Not **wrong** per se, but just completely different." Magilou grinned as she remarked, "It has a certain 'messy, bedhead' charm to it I guess. It's a far crime from the prim and proper pigtails, we were all so used to seeing. You could always tell you brushed it."

"…" Eleanor didn't say anything in response as she kept cooking.

"It looks all disheveled and messy kinda like how Velvet's hair was." Magilou held out both of her hands in front of her and looked through them as if she was looking through a frame as she said, "It's almost like you have her hair and dyed it red."

"…" Eleanor bit her lip as she continued to cook.

Magilou thought to herself, _"Must've hit a nerve."_

"Should it really matter now?" Eleanor asked while still looking away from Magilou. "The Abbey we know is finished, but the people still respect the Exorcists. As long as I wear this uniform, it's enough to get people to listen to me, so I can spread to word of Maotelus to them. I'm keeping my promises. That's what matters."

"…" It was Magilou's turn to remain quiet. She remained so until Eleanor finished the cooking.

After half hour had passed, Eleanor served the food and Magilou helped herself to the meal. As soon as Magilou had her fill, she put her hand on her stomach as she proclaimed, "Ahh! I see someone hasn't lost her touch!" Magilou held out her thumb as she finished with, "Good job Eleanor!"

"Heh." Eleanor chuckled as she remarked, "It really feels weird hearing you give a compliment."

Magilou leaned in her chair and put her hands behind her head as she remarked, "It can't be that strange. I've given compliments before."

Eleanor looked away as she admitted, "Yeah. I guess." Eleanor looked towards Magilou as she stated, "You can praise me all you want, but Velvet's cooking was way better."

Magilou remained leaning as she readily agreed, "So true. For someone, who couldn't taste anything besides blood, she really was a good cook, especially after she got our little Laphicet to taste check."

"…" Eleanor's fingers tightened together under the table as she remarked, "As far as I know, she was a good cook before she was turned into a Therion. Even after everything Lord Artorius put her through, she couldn't forget how to cook. Remember how must've been as easy for her as it was for people to-"

"Yeah. Yeah." Magilou stopped leaning on her chair. Her chair made a clanking sound as the front legs hit the wooden floor. "You miss her I get it." Magilou put her elbows on the table as she intertwined her hands which let her chin rest on them. "Now I want you to start talking about what you said earlier. Don't think I forgot about that."

Eleanor adjusted on her seat and wouldn't look Magilou in the eyes as she said, "I'm not sure how to describe what happened."

Magilou bluntly stated, "You gotta start somewhere. Might as well be from the beginning."

"Well … After I made that," Eleanor gestured to the outside, "it was getting dark. Things took a lot longer than I thought, so I decided to spend the night here. I mean sure this place had seen better days, but it was still usable. I can see that Velvet really took care of this place when she-"

"Okay, okay." Magilou waved her right hand as she stated, "You're getting off track here."

"Sorry. Um …" Eleanor cleared her throat. "After getting dust off the bed I-"

Magilou grinned as she gingerly inquired, "You mean Velvet's bed?"

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned as a light blush started to form on her face. "It could've been hers, but I …" Eleanor shook her head and asked the witch, "Can you stop interrupting me every five seconds?"

Magilou shrugged, "Fine, fine. Just get to it."

"Ahem." Eleanor cleared her throat. She remained sitting across the table from Magilou as she started again, "Anyway, I went to sleep, and then I woke up in a field."

"A field?" Magilou was taken aback by that.

"Yes." Eleanor repeated, "A field. Things seemed strange at first, but they started to change around me. I could turn around and see things that weren't there before. Then I saw a cliff. On that cliff, I ..." The words were stuck in Eleanor's throat for a moment before she said, "I saw Velvet on that cliff."

"Hmm …" Magilou listened with interest.

"She was so far away that I shouldn't have known it was her at first, but I knew it was her. I was so sure." Eleanor stated, "I found myself moving toward her, and then I started running as fast as I could. I didn't think there could be anything to stop me until … I got closer." Eleanor's eyes became downcast as she crossed her arms and told Magilou, "When I got close, I could feel something stop me from getting to her. It was like some kinda of barrier or something."

"Mmm …" Magilou inquired, "You mean like the barriers the Abbey kept the Therions imprisoned in?"

Eleanor's eyes widened in realization, "Yeah! It was exactly like that. I was wondering why it felt so familiar. It was like a Therion Containment Barrier was being used or something."

"…" Magilou had her right hand on her chin as she pondered the possibilities.

"I remember pounding on it." Eleanor rubbed her forehead as she did her best to recall how the dream ended, "I was pounding on that barrier as hard as I could, but I couldn't put a dent in it. I tried talking to Velvet, but my voice couldn't reach her, and she kept facing away from me. For some reason, I could hear her though. She thanked me for what I did. After that, I passed out, and I woke up back on the bed."

Magilou was still holding her chin with a serious look on her face as she muttered, "Interesting."

Eleanor leaned on the table and asked, "Did you figure something out?"

Magilou shrugged, "Nope."

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned as she remarked in a deadpan tone, "I should've known better."

"Heh. Heh." Magilou chuckled with a grin, "You really should."

"Come on Magilou!" Eleanor pounded on the table as she raised her voice. "This is serious!"

Magilou's eyes were briefly widened at the sight of Eleanor losing her temper, but her eyes shrunk again as she commented, "Looks like some of Velvet rubbed off on you."

"…" Eleanor stared at Magilou as she remained silent.

Magilou stated, "I wasn't lying about the 'interesting' part. I'm just not entirely sure what to make of it, but I do have ideas."

"If you think I was making this up, I can assure you that I saw Velvet there." Eleanor firmly stated, "When I saw her, she felt like the real one."

"You really feel that confident she was the real Velvet?" Magilou questioned.

"Of course I do." Eleanor looked down at the table as she admitted, "I … I didn't touch her or anything … I couldn't, but her … her presence … her voice … It was unmistakable. It felt like the real Velvet was talking to me again."

Magilou placed her hand on her chin again as she remarked, "Hmm … My. My. That certainly is interesting."

"…" Eleanor narrowed her eyes which caused wrinkles in her forehead to form as she glared at Magilou. "You didn't have anything to do with it did you?"

"Huh?" Magilou's eye winced at the mere suggestion. Her tone had a taste a bitterness in it as she rebuked, "Please. Give me more credit than that. Even I think messing with someone's dreams is messy business. Besides, I'm sure Melchior was the last person alive who could use that kinda of power. With him dead, that power might be lost now. Good riddance I say."

Eleanor leaned back in her chair. "I hope you're right about that, but then … what happened …"

Magilou stated, "I guess that means finding an answer will be harder for you then."

Eleanor leaned her head on her fist as her elbow rested on the table. "If my dreams weren't being manipulated, then what did I experience?"

"Hmm … Dreams can be quite mysterious things …" There was a sense of sincerity in Magilou's voice as she spoke, "Beautiful but yet dangerous in their own way. They're never something to be trifled with, especially after how Velvet and Rokurou made their 'dreams' come true."

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned and cringed at the thought.

"Heh." Magilou grinned at the reaction before saying, "Moving on. I feel if I were to use one word to describe dreams, I'd say that they are 'unpredictable."

"Unpredictable …" Eleanor mused.

Magilou shrugged her shoulders as she stated, "It's like life. You never know what you're going to get out of it." Magilou rhetorically asked, "I'm sure you never expected to get along with two Daemons, two Malaks, and a witch did ya?"

"Nope." Eleanor admitted. She smiled as she thought back to the past, "There's a lot of things I never thought I could get used to, but it turned out all right in the end. I also learned things don't always turn out the way they seem."

"That's right. Unexpected things always tend to show up." Magilou stated, "Speaking of which, I don't believe your dreams are necessarily being manipulated. It is possible something else could be happening instead."

"Like what?" Eleanor took a shot in the dark, "Is someone causing an interference or something?"

"That's actually that's what I think might be happening." Magilou explained, "I believe they are being enhanced or interfered with."

"What?" Eleanor's mouth was left slightly agape as she asked, "That can happen too?"

"It's possible." Magilou theorized, "If dreams can be manipulated, it stands to reason they can be enhanced or used as some kind of conduit." She cited, "Melchior was manipulating the area of this village prior to our group arriving here. It was then only a matter of using Velvet's dreams."

"…" Eleanor bit her lip lightly at the memory.

Magilou continued her theory, "We have also seen how Melchior used his powers to torture and affect human's very cores like we saw with Aifread. It's possible that while he was here, his power might've caused a 'disturbance'. It possibly could have affected Daemon here without him realizing it."

Eleanor inquired "Do you really think that's possible?"

"Do you **really** need to be that skeptical about this?" Magilou replied in a deadpan tone, "Velvet managed to seal a being that was practically a god to end its cycle of reincarnation. Should anything really surprise you now?"

"Yeah …" Eleanor conceded, "That's a good point."

"Hmm …" Magilou continued to ponder the possibilities, "It is possible that between Melchior's powers leaving some kind of residual after affects along with us removing the Therion, a native Daemon could have developed unique abilities and hid itself to grow stronger."

"Is there any way to find out for sure?" Eleanor asked.

"Whether this is the work of a Daemon or not is still a mystery." Magilou stated, "This will required further investigation, but it might not be easy. It might take a little time too."

"I didn't expect it to, but there has to be a way to be sure." Eleanor firmly said, "I want to resolve this as fast as I can."

"In that case, I think I'll stick around to help you find out." Magilou declared.

"You're really going to help me?" Eleanor asked.

"Of course." Magilou stated, "I did say I'd stick around."

"Hmm …" Eleanor looked at Magilou skeptically as she suggested, "you're sticking around because it'll entertain you right?'

"Oh." Magilou grinned as she replied, "You know me all too well. But should that really matter?" Magilou rhetorically asked, "As an Exorcist for the people, you can't let the possibility of an 'Evil Daemon' potentially causing harm to the innocent if left alone can you? You can't afford to be choosy about the help you get now right?"

Eleanor sighed and admitted rubbed her hand through her hair, "You got me there."

"Well." Magilou clapped her hands together. "Now with that matter settled, let's move on. We first have to find out whether or not the 'dream' of yours is a one-time thing or if it is something more."

Eleanor immediately insisted, "There's' something more. I'm sure of it"

"Yeah, yeah." Magilou nonchalantly replied, "I got ya, but we'll need to know more. We'll be just be taking shots in the dark if we don't' know for sure." 

"I guess …" Eleanor asked, "How should we proceed?"

Magilou grinned as she stroked her chin, "I think it's obvious my dear Eleanor. When we go to sleep tonight, we'll find out what happens after we close our eyes. It'll be the moment of truth, and we'll find out what's going on together."

Eleanor shrugged her shoulders and nodded in agreement. "That's as good a plan as any I guess. I can't think of anything better."

"Glad you agree." Magilou continued to grin as she stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy the rest of the day while the sun is still burning."

Before Magilou could step away from the table Eleanor called out, "Hey Magilou!"

Magilou looked down at Eleanor and asked, "Yes?"

"You know …" Eleanor took a second to think of the right words to use. "Regardless of your reasons for doing this, thank you for deciding to help me."

"Thanks isn't necessary." The Witch had her hands on her hips as she told the Exorcist, "You're interesting enough to keep me from being bored. That's good enough for me."

"Heh …" Eleanor chuckled. "Whatever you say. See you later."

"See ya for dinner." Magilou then excused herself leaving Eleanor to feel anxious about what was to come that night.

When it came time for them to go to sleep that night, neither would admit their feelings of anxiety to each other, but it was obvious to Magilou that Eleanor was feeling that way. However, despite how anxious they felt, they eventually drifted to sleep. Neither one of them had any idea what to expect when they closed their eyes, but they would soon fine out.

/

 **Author Notes** : I'm satisfied that I was able to complete this chapter before 2017 was over. I know I kept this story on the backburner for the past few months, but I intended on completing one more before the year was over, and I'm happy I succeeded. Be sure to keep an eye out for future updates of this story in 2018. Hopefully, I will be able to bring this story to its resolution before next year is over.

For this story, I was partly influenced by how Tales of Zestiria had an after story that took place a few months after the main events of the game that primarily focused on Alisha who then joins forces with Rose. I was disappointed that was not the case with Tales of Berseria, especially since Tales of Berseria is a prequel. While there was plenty tying the two games together, it would've been cool for a little extra.

If there had been a post-game story line, I figured that either Eleanor or Magilou would be the best candidates. Needless to say, I chose Eleanor to be the protagonist of this story. While Eizen and Rokurou could have made good protagonists, their stories felt with the group felt like they had been completed, and it didn't seem likely they would crossover with any of the remaining characters like Eleanor and Magilou could.

It was always my plan for this story to not solely feature Eleanor in the present day. I knew from the start that one of the other party members would reunite with her to try figure out what happened in her dream. It didn't take me long to decide on Magilou. Not only did she seem the most qualified, but she seemed like the most likely who could reunite with Eleanor.

We know that Eizen did continue traveling with the Aifread pirates even after they lost the ability to perceive him. While it is possible that Eizen could maintain contact using sylphjays, I had a feeling he wouldn't do that on a regular basis if at all. As we saw in the epilogue, Rokurou kept fighting hordes of Daemons until he would eventually fall in battle if what comments regarding the 'Japanese Guide' are to be believed.

Needless to say, Magilou seemed like the logical choice since the epilogue did seem to indicate she was keeping an eye on Eleanor. Magilou did appear to be writing notes about Eleanor in the epilogue. As Magilou would be the first Mayvin storyteller, it does seem like she was observing Eleanor to write down pieces of the true history. Magilou knew parts of history would remain lost or hidden forever from the general public, but she would have the truth written down.

The game never went into detail about how the remaining party members separated after the final battle. We don't know if they separated right away or if they stuck together a little longer. Regardless, I do picture Eizen and Rokurou being courteous enough to say goodbye. While we have seen Magilou go off on her own in the canon video game, I could picture her simply disappearing. It feels like something she would do, especially when she wants to avoid getting too attached to someone after what Melchior did to her. Personally, I think Eleanor would be worried about Magilou suddenly disappearing since Eleanor is a good person. I also think that Eleanor would have cared for Magilou as a friend after spending months traveling together. While Magilou wasn't highly liked by the party, they did seem to care.

So far, I think this story is developing nicely, and I look forward to continuing it into 2018. I don't plan on this story being particularly long, but I do think there are a few chapters to go before it comes to an end. Even then I would probably do something like a _**dénouement**_ since I feel it does help end stories more effectively. I'll play the development of this story by ear, and we'll see where it goes from there.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas 2017, Happy Hanukkah 2017, and a Happy New Year 2018. Please leave a review. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and I'll see you next time.


	3. Dreams and Power

**Author Notes** : I find it befitting that the last story I updated in 2017 is the first story I updated for 2018. I'm happy to update this story in time for the anniversary of the Western localization for Tales of Berseria. This was a major motivator to reduce the wait time between Chapters Two and Three. I still can't believe it has been a year since I started playing this great game. I loved playing it from beginning to end.

Tales of Berseria will always resonate to me because of how different the protagonists were. Not just because we had our first solo female protagonist. We were playing as a group of protagonists who could potentially be a step away from being villains. While the Abbey did cross the line far more than they did, the Abbey was also protecting people while they caused a lot of destruction to the order and peace. Being on this journey with those characters was quite an experience and the next Tales game will have a tough act to follow.

I'm sure some of you might have noticed the new cover for this story. It was drawn by none other than the talented Manu-chann. She truly is an amazing artist. She has also been drawing the manga adaptation for "Spoken & Unspoken Words", so be sure to check out her page to see what she can do.

While I have enjoyed writing this story and seeing artwork get created, I do have to say, I was rather disappointed by the low number of reviews for the previous chapter. I was really hoping to receive more than that. Receiving feedback is greatly appreciated, and it doesn't have to be a long review either. If you could leave some feedback to what you think about the chapter, that would be great.

For those of you who did review and communicate with me, I'm glad you liked the inclusion of Magilou in this story. As I mentioned before, it was always my intention to give Eleanor another 'party' member for this story and Magilou was the logical choice. Magilou does appear to be keeping an eye on Eleanor in the epilogue of the story.

I hope you will enjoy Chapter Three, and you will leave a review. They will be greatly appreciated. Happy reading.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Three: Dreams and Power

/

What could go so wrong?

It was just a quiet day

Why did it happen?

/

With the sun beaming down, this day was like any other for the harbor of the **Eastgand** city **Taliesin** , also known as the **Cliff City of the East**. That was especially true for this worker. He was a man who enjoyed working at the harbor which was demonstrated by the smile on his face.

The harbor worker was a muscular, tanned man. He had short brown hair with a small stubble of facial hair on his chin that he loved to scratch. His job was to help with the recently arrived ships and their cargo along with handling other responsibilities, such as aiding with the inventory of the harbor shops. He would wake up every morning and work until evening. It was a routine he could never complain about.

Needless to say, the man's work was labor intensive. The man would be sure to bend down and lift with his legs, so he wouldn't throw out his back. Sometimes what he lifted would require him to test his strength and push his muscles.

The man was already working up a sweat from the activity he had done already. Despite the hardship or rather because of it, he was fine with that as he swiped it from his brow. To him, no job was better than being able to work down by the harbor. He wouldn't trade it for anything else. Not when he could feel the wind on his face.

"Ahhhh!" A worker stretched out his arms as the sun continued to beam down on him.

 _ **Flap! Flap! Flap! Squawk!**_

The worker looked up and put his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. By doing so, he could see the seagulls flying by. They were flying without a care in the world. The man smiled as he gazed upon their flying forms while he kept using his hand as a shield.

While the man watched the seagulls, he was greeted by the familiar sensation of the cool sea breeze. He could instantly feel his sweaty body cool down. The breeze caused his short hair to blow, and he could hear the many windmills blowing in the background.

The man then looked towards the never-ending horizon of the ocean that stood before him as wide as the eye could see. No matter how much he looked towards that horizon, it could never get old. Never. He could see ships coming from different walks of life appearing and disappearing in the distance. Every ship he saw told a different story.

Due to **Taliesin** 's strategic location, it was a major port for trade and transportation from Eastgan to other regions in the **Holy Midgand Empire**. As a result, both merchant and passenger ships frequently pulled up and left the port. There was never a dull day.

The worker took a deep breath and let it out. He smiled as he remarked, "Nothing better." He then continued to go about his day. A day that had been like any other.

As usual, the man would see people getting on the boats to fish, hauling in new supplies for the shops, and exporting plenty of goods as well. He was watching this while he was having a casual lunch. He sat on top of a barrel legs crossed. He was sitting alone as he sat in his favorite spot to view the vast ocean and feel the sea air. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that this was the best place on all of Midgand.

"I thought I might find you here." The man looked to see it was one of his friends approaching him.

"Yo." The man raised up his hand in greeting. "Come to enjoy the view too?"

"Heh." His friend chuckled, "Don't we see this view every day?"

"Who cares about that?" The man looked toward the horizon again. "It's still beautiful."

His friend shrugged as he commented, "Maybe so, but it doesn't hold a candle to Celica."

"Mmm …" The man had taken another bite of his sandwich and swallowed it before asking, "How is she by the way?"

"She's doing fine." His friend put both hands behind his head as he answered with a smile, "She says she wants to surprise me with something when we see each other again."

"Surprise you huh?" The man grinned, "I wonder what that could be?"

"Don't get any ideas man." His friend answered while shaking his head, "She's been taken. She got married about a year or two ago remember?"

"Oh right!" The man replied, "I forgot about that … Sorry about that man."

"It's fine." His friend replied, "She's really happy with Arthur. Her two younger siblings are doing well, and they really like him too."

"That's good to hear." The man replied.

"She really does deserve happiness." His friend smiled as she told him, "After losing her parents and needing to take care of her siblings, she deserves someone good in her life so she can make a new family of her own."

"Anyway …" The man awkwardly asked, "… what do you think she'll surprise you with?"

"She'll probably cook me something really good." His friend replied. "She might be married now, but we're still friends. That's not weird to cook something for an old friend right?" He uncertainly asked, "Even if he's a man?"

"Hmm …" The man scratched his stubble chin before responding, "I don't think so." He then grinned and said, "As long as her husband is fine with it."

"Yeah …" His friend took a step back and grimaced as he remarked, "I wouldn't want to get on his bad side … That guy could probably take care of Aball's bandit issue all by himself. I've seen him use that sword before."

"…" The man remained silent as his friend attempted to recompose himself.

"Ahem." His friend cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, I got another place to be. See ya after work. Same place as usual?"

"Sure. Later." The man waved his friend off before returning to his lunch and the view.

As the man was finishing up his meal, the sea breeze brushed by him once again, but it was different this time. Rather than the calm, cool feeling he was used to, he felt **'cold'**. It caused a shiver to crawl down his spine. He briefly held himself to adjust to this sensation.

The man looked up to see a ship coming into view from the horizon. It was a ship he hadn't seen before, but it didn't appear to be different from any other. Nothing appeared to stick out. It appeared **'normal'**. However, the feeling he had was what made it stick out. It felt as if the chill he had was coming from that ship.

Just like any other ship, it approached the harbor. As the ship continued its approach, the man jumped off his barrel seat. His stomach felt incapable to processing anymore food as he put what was left of his lunch back in his bag. The hairs on the back of his neck continued to stand up one by one as a feeling started to swell up inside. He had a shortness of breath. It was as if he momentarily forgotten how to breath as his mouth was left ajar.

He stared at the oncoming ship until he felt one of his coworkers nudge him on the arm. He looked over and heard his coworker say, "Hey man. What's wrong?"

"Oh …" The man shook his head as he shakily replied, "… Nothing's wrong …. I'm fine."

His coworker tilted his head and inquisitively asked, "Are you sure? You looked like you're staring into space. You see a ghost or something?"

"I'm fine." The man stated, "Just felt chilly for a second."

"Chilly huh?" As if on cue another sea breeze blew by as he answered, "I guess I can see that. If you feel sick just tell me. I can cover for you."

"Don't worry about it." The man assured his coworker, "I'll be fine."

"Okay." His coworker then went on with his own work.

"…" The man then looked at the ship that was getting ready to pull up to the harbor. He walked down to the dock, so he would be standing by to welcome the oncoming ship personally. As he stood there, the feeling was not going away. In fact, the feeling was growing in the bottom of his stomach with each passing second. He gulped as the ship docked.

As with any other ship, he helped unload the goods from the ship, and he saw the passengers leave. Nothing stood out about them. The cargo was standard. The travelers seemed run-of-the-mill to him that didn't give him a bad vibe. Everything seemed normal.

He let out a sigh of relief as he wiped the sweat from his forehead before he felt the breeze again. He felt the shiver suddenly crawl up his spine. He heard footsteps behind him. To anyone else, the sounded like ordinary footsteps but to him it sounded as if lightning was striking behind him.

The man's eyes were as wide as they could be. He was momentarily frozen before he mustered the ability to slowly turn around. The man would never forget the person he was about to see. He could **never** forget that man. **Ever**.

/

"AH!" Someone bolted from the ground the moment he opened his eyes. He looked around to see nothing but darkness.

"Grrh … Gah …" He groaned as he put his hand on his face. "GAH!" He cried out in pain as he felt his nail cut through his skin. He could see the blood on his long nail as he looked at his hand.

"Ah …" He stared at his hand before it slowly started to come back to him. He stood up as he could hear the familiar sounds of the breeze and the ocean waves hitting the shore.

"Grrh!" He bit into his lip which immediately elicited blood.

"Damn him …. Damn him." He clenched his fingers which caused his nailed to cut into his skin. "Damn him." He repeated as blood slowly began to seep between the cracks of his fist.

He looked toward the moon and howled, "DAMN HIM!"

There was not one soul around to hear his howl. After howling with all he had, he felt the strength of his legs give out as he fell to his knees. His arms hung powerlessly on his sides and his fingers were wide open with gashes seen at the center inside of his hands.

He looked to the ground as he quietly said to himself one last time, "Damn him …"

/

Under the light of the moon, a quiet forest was lit. There was hardly a sound except for someone's footsteps. These footsteps belonged to none other than the former Exorcist, Eleanor Hume. She was wearing her Exorcist uniform, and her red hair remained as disheveled as ever.

"Where am I?" Eleanor looked around to see she was surrounded by nothing but trees. Due to the darkness of night, it was difficult for her to discern any distinguishing marks as she asked herself aloud, "Where did it take me this time?"

As if it was attempting to provide her with an answer the wind picked up and blew Eleanor's way which caused her hair and Exorcist uniform to move along with it. As the wind blew, she could feel a chill crawl up her spine.

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned as her body shook. She held onto her arms as she remarked, "Even in a dream the wind feels so real."

"I thought I'd find you here my dear Exorcist." A high pitched voice from behind her caused Eleanor's ears to perk up.

"Huh?" Eleanor looked to see it was none other than the witch. "Magilou!" Eleanor exclaimed, "You're here too?!"

"Of course." Magilou reminded her, "I stuck around to see what would happen. Remember?"

"Yeah … right." Eleanor then asked, "So what did happen?"

"Seems like we've both been caught up in whatever dream this is supposed to be." Magilou pointed behind her and remarked, "I don't think we can get out of here by going that way. I already tried and it's seems endless."

"Then we have to go this way." Eleanor asked, "But what makes you think it'll be any different?"

"Hmm …" Before Magilou could answer, the wind picked up again which caused her large hat to sway in the breeze. She then pointed in the direction of the path, "The wind is blowing from that direction. It's as if the dream itself is telling us that we might find something if we follow it." Magilou shrugged as she asked, "That's how it usually works in these scenarios right?"

Magilou's tiny hat wearing normin partner, Bienfu, commented, "That sounds like a stretch Miss Magilou."

"You got any better ideas smart guy?" Magilou asked indignantly.

"Um … no." Bienfu hesitantly answered.

"Then that's the best we got." Magilou remarked as she poked at Bienfu's cheek hard, "Make sure to remember that."

"Bieeenn~ …" Bienfu cried out.

"Hmm …" As Magilou and Bienfu had their exchange, Eleanor closed her eyes as she attempted to listen to something. She thought she could hear something faint in the distance. A familiar sound, but it was too distant to know what it was.

"Sorry. I didn't me-" Bienfu began to say with tears welling up in his eyes.

Eleanor interrupted Bienfu as she spoke up, "I think Magilou might be on to something."

"Oh." Magilou grinned like the Cheshire cat as she remarked, "I figured as much."

"Come on! Let's go!" Eleanor began to run down the path with Magilou in tow.

"Hey! Wait for me! Bieeeen~." Bienfu came flying behind them.

It didn't take them long for them to emerge from the forest. What laid before them appeared to be a field. A field that Eleanor was quick to recognize. It may have been dark, but she recognized where she was.

Eleanor's eyes widened at the sight of it. Her ears perked up at the sound of the water. She could hear water splashing up against the rocks of a nearby cliff.

"This is it …" Eleanor said to herself softly.

"Hmph?" It was loud enough to catch Magilou's attention.

"This is it!" Eleanor loudly exclaimed, "This is where my dream happened! This is where I saw Velvet! She's here! I know she is!" Eleanor then bolted from where they were standing.

"Eleanor!" Magilou called out the Exorcist, but it was too late. She was long gone by the time Magilou reached out. "Ugh …" Magilou groaned before running after the Exorcist.

Nothing else could be heard except for the sound of Eleanor's footsteps in the grass. As she ran, she looked to see if she could see any sign for the Daemon she was looking for. When something suddenly caught the corner of her eye, she skidded to a stop. Eleanor looked towards the cliff, and she saw someone standing by the edge.

"Ah …" Eleanor didn't need to be told who it was. She knew who it was this time. "Velvet!" Eleanor cried out.

Before Eleanor could run towards Velvet, she felt something roughly grab her shoulder. "Eleanor!" It was a little witch who was keeping her in place. "This is a dream! Velvet isn't really here!"

"Do you really think that matters?!" Eleanor asked.

"!" Magilou's eyes were wide open in shock.

Eleanor's voice was raised louder than she had ever had before in front of the witch. "I'm never going to see her again in the real world! Velvet is gone! She might as well be dead! This is the best chance I have! You can't stop me from seeing her again!"

"…" Magilou's mouth was agape, but she didn't say a word. She could see that tears were slowly welling up in the corner of Eleanor's eyes, but Magilou didn't move either. Her hand remained firmly on Eleanor's shoulder.

"Now if you-" Eleanor began to say before she then heard something else that caught her attention which immediately caused her entire body to tense up as she exclaimed, "What the hell?!"

Standing before Eleanor and Magilou were several Daemons that stood between them and Velvet. They seemingly appeared out of nowhere which caused both of them to be taken by surprise.

It only took a moment for Eleanor to regain her composure as she declared, "You're not going to get in my way!" Eleanor reached for where she would place her spear as she continued to speak, "I'll take you down with-" Eleanor cut herself off. She was reaching for where she would usually place her spear, but there was nothing there which caused her eyes to widen. "Huh?" The spear was nowhere to be found, "Uh oh …"

"Grrh!" The Daemons appeared to be grinning in Eleanor's direction as it approached.

Eleanor quickly regained her composure again and held out her hands as she stated, "Fine! I'll take you down with …" Eleanor was in her usual pose to use her arte, but there was nothing happening. "What?! What's going on?! I can't use anything!"

"Hmm …" Magilou held out her hands and attempted to use an arte as well, but nothing came of it. "I don't think we can use artes here. We're in a literal dream after all."

"We've been in a dream before!" Eleanor protested.

Magilou quickly counter explained, "Yeah, but it's not like how we were awake and trapped in a 'dream'. We're actually in a dream world this time."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Eleanor did her best to remain composed, but her voice became higher pitched than normal.

"Dunno." Magilou casually replied with a shrug, "I think we're screwed."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Eleanor exclaimed.

"Grrh!" The Daemons growled again which caught both Eleanor and Magilou's attention. They were approaching the duo slowly. It appeared that these Daemons were toying with their new prey as their mouths' watered.

"Um …" Eleanor looked at the Daemons her eyes widened and her pupils shrank. Her face sunk as her body began to shake. A cool sweet was beginning to form on her forehead as her body became frozen as if she had become paralyzed from the gazes of these Daemons.

From the corner of Eleanor's eye, she could see Magilou hold up one of her currently powerless cards while Bienfu hid behind his master. Bienfu was shaking even more than Eleanor was. Magilou gritted her teeth at the sight of these run of the mill foes having the upper hand on them.

"Ah …" Eleanor wanted to say something, but she was unable to. Her mouth was left agape as she could barely force herself to take a step back.

Suddenly without warning, a deep voice broke Eleanor out her trance as she commanded, "Eleanor! Magilou! Get down!"

As per what the voice instructed, both Eleanor and Magilou fell to the ground. Their faces were looking down, so they couldn't see what happened next, but they could hear.

 **Rip! Rip! Rip! GRWWW!**

Before the monsters could reach them, something hit each of them. A loud tearing sound could be heard followed by the cries of the monsters. Sounds Eleanor was familiar with. Then they all proceeded to fall to the ground.

Eleanor's eyes remained wide open as she continued to stare at the ground until she heard someone calmly say, "You can stand up now." When Eleanor stood up, she saw the Daemons had been eradicated, and there was only Velvet left standing by the cliff.

As Eleanor and Magilou gazed upon Velvet's figure, they could see Velvet's left arm was in its 'Daemon Mode' again. At night, they could clearly see the demonic presence radiate a mixture of dark and red from Velvet's arm. It didn't matter how many times Eleanor had seen Velvet's arm. Every time she saw it, it was something out of a nightmare. A nightmare that Eleanor had been lucky enough to avoid being on the receiving end of.

Velvet's 'Daemon Arm' was easily three times larger than a normal human arm. Each finger being a long powerful claw that could cut through nearly anything. Eleanor had seen Velvet rip through people with her arm as if she was cutting a piece of cheese with a butter knife. If someone was grabbed with that arm, they'd be at Velvet's mercy. She'd consume anyone she deemed necessary with that arm. Eleanor had been fortunate to be spared by Velvet when they were enemies despite being at Velvet's mercy multiple times.

By Velvet's will, the arm receded. Eleanor and Magilou witnessed the arm shrink back to normal human size, and it was automatically covered by the bandages to repress it. Velvet grabbed her bandaged arm with her ' **human** ' arm as her back remained facing them. Even from this distance, Eleanor could see Velvet's Daemon arm was shaking.

"…" There was silence for a few moments between the three parties.

Eleanor was the first to make an attempt to speak as she stepped forward, "Velvet … Than-"

Before Eleanor could finish her sentence, Velvet remarked as she remained facing away from the duo, "I see you still follow my orders even in a dream. You really do follow through on your end of the deal. You've done a good job. You …" Velvet slightly hesitated as she finished with, "… You truly are dependable."

"…" Eleanor's mouth remained agape as she had difficulty thinking of the next thing to say.

Velvet remained looking away from Eleanor and Magilou as she stated, "I still can't hear you. If you're trying to tell me something, you shouldn't bother. Your words will literally fall on deaf ears …"

"But you … you knew we were in trouble Velvet." Eleanor protested, "You must've known something!"

"I know you're saying something Eleanor, but I can't hear the words." Velvet looked down to the water that laid before her as she stated, "I'm sorry, but I really can't hear your words."

"Velvet …" Eleanor said in a heartbroken tone as she held her hand to her chest.

"Hmph." Magilou casually commented while she had her hands behind her head, "Even in a dream, you really know how to cause our little Exorcist grief. You should be proud of that."

"I see you brought Magilou with you." Velvet stated as she looked to the horizon. She commented, "Try not to be too desperate for company."

"…" Both Eleanor and Magilou didn't have much to say.

"Hmph." Velvet chuckled slightly before stating, "But you could do worse. Who am I to judge? I am the Lord of Calamity after all."

"Don't say things like that Velvet!" Eleanor protested. "I don't care if you can't hear me! I'm tired of you putting yourself down like that!"

"…" Bienfu and Magilou remained quiet.

"I don't know what needs to happen, but you will hear me! I promise you that!" Eleanor loudly declared, "You will hear me!"

"…" There was silence after Eleanor's declaration. She was taking some deep breaths. Even shouting loudly took energy.

Velvet then told Eleanor, "Neither of you two should be here. This is not where you two belong. You need to go back and leave. You have other things to do than to keep me company."

"I want to be here!" Eleanor said as she ran towards Velvet before hitting into the barrier she had hit into before. Eleanor pounded onto the barrier with her right arm with all her might. "You're not alone Velvet! I won't let you!"

In a melancholy tone, Velvet merely said, "Goodbye …"

"No! I …" Before Eleanor could say another word, her eyes suddenly became heavy. She started to lose balance as she did her best to remain upright. She held her head as she looked behind her. She could see that both Magilou and Bienfu were already face down on the grassy field.

Eleanor looked back to Velvet and said, "No … Not again … Not again …" Her feet buckled, and she was on her knees.

"I'm sorry Eleanor …" Were the last words Eleanor could hear Velvet say to her as she blacked out. "I'm really sorry …"

/

"AH!" Eleanor catapulted from the bed with wide eyes. Just like the previous day, Eleanor was breathing heavily as her body was covered with sweat which caused her clothes to stick to her skin. She immediately got out of bed.

Eleanor emerged from Velvet's room while still wearing her sleepwear to call out, "Magilou! Magilou!"

"Yawn!" Eleanor looked up to see Magilou leaning on the second floor banister while yawning with her mouth wide open before giving a response in a lazy tone, "I'm up. I'm up. You don't need to shout." Magilou was basically wearing her normal outfit except it lacked her 'book skirt' and witch hat. Her hair was just as messy as Eleanor's.

"You saw that didn't you Magilou!" Eleanor asked Magilou. "You experienced that right? That wasn't a dream version of you right?"

"That was me." As Magilou spoke, she had her arms crossed and her eyes closed. She moved her neck in attempt to crack the kinks out. "That wasn't a pleasant experience."

"Wasn't pleasant indeed." Bienfu appeared to have large bags under his eyes as he spoke, "I just woke up, and I feel like I didn't get any sleep at all … Bien …"

"Then this confirms it." Eleanor stated, "This confirms that what I experienced before wasn't a coincidence. There is something happening here, but we don't know what it could be."

"Not yet anyway." Magilou then remarked, "Anyway, let's continue this in five minutes shall we." Magilou put her hand on her mouth as she let out another yawn. "I need to pretty myself up first." She walked away from the second floor banister.

"Hmph …" Eleanor looked at her clothes as she remarked, "Might as well."

A few minutes later, Eleanor and Magilou were sitting across from each other at the table in their normal attire, but Eleanor's hair had still seen better days. She didn't care as her first thought was, "I wish Grimoirth was here. I wonder if she'd have any idea of what was going on."

"Grim …" Magilou scratched her cheek, "I'm sure she'd prefer to stay out of it."

Eleanor countered, "But she did help us out a few times on our last journey, especially when things got really important. Don't you have any idea where she could be?"

"Finding her would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack." Magilou remarked, "I think she decided not to give me any clues this time so I won't try getting her help anymore. We did kinda ruin her peaceful lifestyle."

"It wasn't just us. It was …," Eleanor began to protest before holding back and saying, "… But after what happened last time, I guess I can't blame her." Eleanor leaned on the table as she stated, "But she really would help make things easier."

Magilou waved her hand. "Forget about that. I don't think we need her for this. We've been through so much already." She grinned as she confidently stated, "We can handle this ourselves."

Eleanor wearily asked, "Even without Eizen or Rokurou?"

"Meh." Magilou shrugged her shoulders. "Who needs those muscle heads? They wouldn't be any help to us."

"I don't know." Eleanor pointed out, "Eizen is pretty smart, and Rokurou is kinda good at figuring things out too. At least when it comes to fighting."

"We can handle this ourselves." Magilou insisted, "This situation could be quite time sensitive after all. I know you don't want to take any chances of someone else getting dragged into this mess. You know you can't afford to waste time trying to get help that won't be coming."

"…" Eleanor considered Magilou's words before conceding, "You're right. We might be able to contact Eizen, but we have no way of knowing if he'd be able to get here anytime soon even if he got the message. I have no idea where Rokurou nor Grimoirth are, and I'm pretty sure Laphicet couldn't leave that alter even if he wanted to." Eleanor sighed as she concluded, "I guess we really are on our own."

"Indeed we are." Magilou stated.

"You're really going to help me?" Eleanor inquired in an uncertain tone.

"Come now." Magilou grinned as she stated, "I may've done a few 'questionable' things before, but I don't plan on leaving you out to dry by yourself. I'll stick around. I think this might end up being fun."

"Sticking around for entertainment huh?" Eleanor rhetorically asked.

"That's one reason." Magilou gleefully confirmed.

"Whatever." Eleanor shook her head. "I really could use the help." Eleanor sighed as she leaned on the table and rubbed her temple. "Hmm … How should we go about figuring this out?"

"We should start with some food in our bellies." Magilou said with a grin as she patted her stomach. "I'm sure some good old fashion cooking will get your mind on something else, and you'll be fresh to tackle what to do next."

"…" Eleanor looked to the kitchen as she reluctantly moved her seat and agreed, "Okay. Fine. I'll cook breakfast."

Magilou leaned on the table as she remarked, "I figured you'd agree."

While Eleanor was busy cooking breakfast, Bienfu appeared next to Magilou and attempted to whisper. "Pssh. Miss Magilou. Why are you so insistent on Lady Eleanor handling this by yourselves? You don't owe Rokurou and Eizen money again do you?"

"Nope." Magilou denied, "Not this time. Trying to depend on people who are Empyrean knows where is just illogical. Sometimes you're better off trying to rely on what you have at your disposal."

"Hmm …" Bienfu decided not to say anything else on the subject.

/

It didn't take long for Eleanor to finish cooking breakfast. They waited until after they were done eating before Magilou said the first word. "After experiencing it for myself, I can definitely see why it'd be easy to think it could have something to do with Melichior's power. I had a feeling there would be something different between this and what Melichior was able to do."

Eleanor inquired, "What's that?"

"I think you'd be better off seeing for yourself." Magilou stood up as she said, "You'll understand as soon as you see for yourself."

"Hmm …" Eleanor uneasily replied, "Okay."

Magilou led Eleanor out of the house and to the main square of Aball. The setting of the village remained in its eternal autumn like atmosphere. The trees were as beautiful as they had ever been but there was no one to enjoy them. Everything was as desolate as it had always been.

"So?" Eleanor inquired, "What's this difference you were talking about?"

Magilou held out her arms and motioned to their surroundings. "Look around you. The dreams are not affecting us while we're awake."

Eleanor looked around the empty village to see for herself that the only ones in this village truly were the two of them along with Bienfu. "… Yeah. That's right." Memories of the previous Aball incident came flooding through Eleanor's memory bank as she said, "I think Velvet was asleep when she was affected by his power. Weren't we in some kind of fog or something when that happened?"

"That's right." Magilou nodded, "When we were about to arrive in **Taliesin** , our ship hit into a lot of fog that seemingly disappeared as soon as it appeared."

"Oh!" Eleanor snapped her fingers as she exclaimed, "I get it! That fog must've been Melchior's barrier or something. Once we entered through it, he manipulated Velvet's dreams which projected her desires out into reality! That's why we all saw them in the real world! We all thought it was real!" Eleanor then took a moment to realize as she slowly said, "Everything seemed like it was real until Velvet figured out something was wrong."

Magilou grinned as she remarked, "You can thank Melichor for neglecting one crucial detail. He always did have a tendency to overestimate his abilities. Or maybe it'd be more accurate to say he underestimated his opponent." Magilou shrugged, "Whose to say? Either way it bit him in the ass in the end. I'm just glad to be rid of him." Magilou bitterly grinned at that last part.

"…" Eleanor looked at Magilou without saying a word.

Magilou tilted her head and asked, "What?"

Eleanor shook her head. "Nothing. Anyway, that power affected more than just what we saw in Aball. The living people in Taliesin were affected too. Several of them kept saying how Aball was fine and everything."

"Yes." Magilou nodded. "As soon as Velvet saw through it all, everything then returned to normal for them too. The same people we heard say how Aball was still a thriving village went back to saying how it was a horrific tragedy."

"Grrh …" Eleanor gritted her teeth as she bitterly remarked, "A tragedy Lord Artorius let happen." She slowly curled her fingers at the thought.

"That is also true." Magilou began to monologue while Eleanor remained silent and continued to curl her fingers, "Chances are he let Aball fall so he could then save the people in Taliesin. Afterwards, those same people would proclaim what a hero he was to the whole world while telling everyone the tragedy of Aball that the **demonblight** caused. What better stage to propel himself into power than using the largest city in Eastgand but is also a port of transportation for the Holy Midgand Empire? It wouldn't take long for the entire world to know his name. After all, it only took three years for the people to name him the ' **Shepherd** '."

"…" Eleanor clenched her fingers and teeth, "Damn him … That **bastard** …"

Magilou's eyes widened which caused her eyebrows to move. "Ohhh. Never would've thought I'd hear you say that about Artorius."

"Hmph." Eleanor crossed her arms as she asked, "What do you expect? He let those people die. He cut off Velvet's arm and got her turned into a Therion. His own sister-in-law!" Eleanor's tone had extra venom on the last sentence and she became tenser as she continued, "Then he basically tortured and imprisoned her for **three years** while he basked in the glory of being a 'hero' of the people. For **three years** , he conned us all just so he could stab us all in the back."

Magilou remained calm as she stated, "I'm sure he also wanted revenge on the village after what happened on that first night."

"…" With that one sentence, Eleanor could feel the tension get cut.

"You guys told me about how the Earthpulse gave you that vision about how the village sold out Velvet's family." Magilou rhetorically inquired, "Was that right?"

"…" Eleanor reluctantly answered, "That's what Melchior told him."

Magilou stroked her chin as she remarked, "Yes. That's right. You did say that. Melchior ' **told** ' him."

Eleanor inquired, "Would he have lied about that? He would lie about something like that wouldn't he? The Abbey lied about a lot of things."

"Hmph." Magilou looked Eleanor in the eyes as she gave her reply, "Usually when it came to Melchior his level of honesty tended to 'fluctuate', but there's generally some truth in everything he says. Even if it is only a little."

"…" Eleanor looked away as she couldn't think of anything new to say.

"Either way, Artorius lost his wife and unborn child because of the bandits and apparently due to the village selling his family out." Magilou crossed her arms and tilted her head as she remarked, "I may not be the most empathetic person, but even I can understand how losing a wife would cause someone to feel some rather **significant** emotions. Emotions some people just can't handle. We saw how much malevolence he had when he stopped suppressing it."

"…" Eleanor thought back to the final battle. The thought of Artorius releasing his despair for Innomiant to feed off of was still fresh in her mind. She was at a loss for words as she tried to speak, "I … I don't … Grh …"

"Well …" Magilou decided to add, "Obviously not **all** of them were responsible. If those dream people were like what we saw then, like Niko or that shop keeper, I doubt they had anything to do with it. If Artorius did let all them die for his revenge, he might not have bothered to find out who actually was responsible."

"Hmm …" A thought came to Eleanor that she hesitantly voiced, "That might not matter … Even if he did try to find out who was responsible, he probably would've done it anyway. After all, what greater tragedy is there than a peaceful village being completely wiped from the face of the earth …"

"Hmm. Hmph." Magilou nodded in agreement as she quoted, "'One person's **tragedy** is another person's **opportunity**.'"

Eleanor was taken aback. "What?"

Magilou replied in a melancholy tone, "Melchior said something like that to me once. It is true if you think about it. Just like how Autorious' death can be seen as a tragedy to the entire world, we can use that as an opportunity of our own. An opportunity you can use."

"…" Eleanor glanced away as she couldn't find the words to respond.

"Ahem." Magilou cleared her throat before remarking, "Anyway, back to what we were talking about. I don't see anything out of place here. Everything is just like I remember from yesterday."

"Yeah …" Eleanor reluctantly went with the flow of the conversation as she stated, "We see things when we're asleep, but we're not still seeing them when we're awake like what happened to Velvet. If this power was being used in the same way, I'm sure we'd be seeing Velvet standing here or something. Everything is just like how it has always been …"

"That's right." Magilou motioned to the deserted village again, "There's nothing out there. It only seems to affect us when we sleep." Magilou scratched her chin as she stated, "That could be troubling in itself."

"Is it possible this person might not be able to control this power?" Eleanor inquired

"It is possible. No." Magilou stated with certainty, "In fact, I'd say it's likely. This power gives a similar vibe to what Melchior had used albeit what we experience was a less 'refined' version. It is highly possible whatever it is doesn't know what he or she is doing."

"Oh …" Eleanor shivered slightly as she asked, "So could this be someone else that Melchior tortured like he did to Aifread?"

Magilou stated, "I couldn't say. I wouldn't put anything passed that old man. It's also possible this poor bastard was just thrown to the side just like anything else Melchior didn't have a use for."

"…" Eleanor once again found herself incapable of putting words together.

Magilou shrugged, "Whatever the case is, we're just going to have to find out for ourselves. I'd suggest you get ready for a fight."

"Yeah." Eleanor nodded, "With everything we've gone through, it'd be stupid not to be."

"Hmph." Magilou grinned as she asked, "Out of curiosity, has your fighting skills gotten as sloppy as your hair?"

"What kind of question is that?" Eleanor scoffed, "You don't have to worry. I've kept up with my training."

Magilou continued to grin, "I'm sure you have."

"Whatever is going on here, I'll be ready to do what I can to get to the bottom of this." Eleanor stated, "I'm sure it's the reason why Velvet can't hear me in that world. If we solve this, I'm sure she'll be able to hear me again."

"Assuming that's true, what will you say to her?" Magilou inquired. "You never knew you could have a chance to talk to her again until just the other day. Even if this works, you might have only one chance to say something to her."

"I know …" Eleanor remarked, "There's a lot of things I would like to say to her, but there is one thing I definitely need to say to her."

"And that is?" Magilou asked with perked ears.

Eleanor took a breath before saying, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry?" Magilou raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Eleanor remorsefully stated, "I'll be sure to say that to her."

"What do you plan on apologizing about?" Magilou attempted to dig deeper.

"Too many things to count, but it'll be between Velvet and me. That's all." Eleanor turned and began walking towards Velvet's home as she said, "You said you'd help me right? Come on. Let's get ready. If this person is around here, we've got a lot of ground to cover. This person can literally be anywhere."

"Hmph." Magilou grinned before following and asking, "Do you have somewhere in mind to start the search?"

"Yes." Eleanor stated, "We're going to where this all began. The place where Innomiant once slept."

/

 **Author Notes** : What did everyone think of the opening for the chapter? I purposely avoided using names for that scene. While I'm not the biggest fan of the 'nameless narrative', I don't mind utilizing it for a scene or two to help build up a mystery to a character's identity before then revealing it later on. I hope you liked it.

For this sequence, I thought it would be interesting to make it clear how different the scenarios were. In the game, we saw that Velvet's 'dream' affected the reality they were in. They were all awake, but they were tricked into believing something else was really there. Due to being awake, they could still use their powers. Here they were in the dream world, so they didn't have access to their abilities. That definitely would be rather frightening.

Eleanor attempted to use her abilities that we've seen her use. We all know that Eleanor more or less retains her powers at the end of the game. I think it was confirmed she retained her ability to see Seraphim/Malakim and Daemons in the Japanese data book. While the game did make it clear Eleanor could still see everyone in the immediate aftermath of the battles to awaken the Empyreans and defeat Innominat, it wasn't made completely clear if she retained her powers long afterwards. Thankfully, the databook rectified that and confirmed she did.

It has been explained in Tales of Berseria that Exorcists have their powers when they are a vessel to a Malak/Seraphim. Humans are capable of using artes as seen in Tales of Zestiria and Berseria, but they won't be able to hurt Daemons/Hellions without those powers. In this case, I figured it might be possible that Eleanor could still have residual power due to being Laphicet's vessel for an extended period of time. It is also possible Eleanor retained her connection to Laphicet to some extent which allows her to maintain her Exorcist abilities.

Velvet is still 'separated' from Eleanor even in the dreams. Velvet can't hear Eleanor, but she could feel Eleanor was in danger which is why she was able to do something. However, that was the only extent she was able to do anything. It is kinda sad to write scenes like that, but there is something blocking them.

What do you guys think of the interactions between Eleanor and Magilou? I don't plan on them getting together, but I like the idea of them sort of being friends. Eleanor would probably be more tolerable of Magilou than some of the others as we saw in the game. Anyway, I personally felt satisfied with how I portrayed them in this story, and I hope you feel the same.

Thank you again for reading the third chapter of this story. I look forward to producing more content for both this and "Spoken & Unspoken Words". However, I hope you'll all provide reviews in the meantime. Reviews are important with motivation. See you next time.


	4. Confessions of a Former Exorcist

**Author Notes** : Today marks the first anniversary of this story. I did what I could to ensure this chapter was produced to celebrate this date.

While there has been a bit of a gap between the releases, sometimes hiatuses between chapters does come in handy. One of the reviewers, KitsuneNaruto135, did bring up a good point. As far as we can tell, Eleanor never undid her bond with Laphicet even after he became an Empyrean. Artorius was the vessel for Innominat, and Eleanor most likely remained the vessel for Laphicet until she died. Unless a databook contradicts this, I think we should probably assume that would most likely be the case.

As you can guess, both sections of this chapter will continue shortly after their respective parts ended in the previous chapter. I hope you all enjoy reading this new chapter and will provide reviews. Reviews are great for motivation. Happy reading.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Four: Confessions of a Former Exorcist

/

The past is the past

It should remain in the past

But that is not so

/

It had been a day like any other for this port worker. That was the case until a seemingly ordinary ship docked. When the boat approached, the worker felt something was wrong. When he took a closer look, he saw nothing that would suggest his gut feeling had any merit. He felt as if he could breathe a sigh of relief, but he found out it was premature. When he came face-to-face with one of the passengers, the gut feelings reemerged.

This passenger stood out from others. He appeared to be a man in his seventies, but his age didn't appear to be an issue based on how he carried himself. He had grayish white hair along with gray eyes to match. He wore a purple monocle on his left eye. This was nothing compared to his outfit which was 'extravagant'. He wore a long beige coat, black pants, and he had a teal sash wrapped around the torso of his coat. What stood out most was his large hat that had beige on the rim and teal on the top.

While this traveler would appear to be eccentric to most, something about this man did not sit right with the port worker. The man couldn't explain it, but something was telling him to stay away. Stay 'far' away. However, he was unable to listen to his instinct's warnings. As much as his mind told him to take a step back, he took a step forward instead.

"C- Can I help you, sir?" Despite feeling the hairs on the back of his head standing up, the worker did his best to remain polite as he spoke to this traveler.

"Yes." The strange man old man stroked his long beard as he spoke, "I'm looking for someone. Someone who went missing a few years ago."

"Oh … I'm sorry to hear that." The port worker then asked, "How can I be of help?"

"I believe this person might've ended up in this village known as Aball." The old man inquired, "That village is located on this island, correct?"

"T- That's right. It's not too far from here." The port worker pointed in the direction towards the town's exit as he informed the old traveler, "You can get there quickly with a horse, but you should be able to get there in less than a day on foot."

"I see." The old man stopped stroking his beard as he graciously replied, "Thank you for the information."

"Do you need anything further?" The post worker asked.

"I assume there is a path, correct?" The old man rhetorically asked.

"Ah, yes …" The port worker awkwardly replied.

"Then there is no need." The old man bluntly stated.

"…" The port worker stood out of the traveler's way as he said, "I hope you find who you're looking for."

"I'm quite sure I will." The old man said that with confidence as he walked passed the worker. The port worker could tell there was not a single doubt in that old man's mind that he would find whom he was looking for.

As the old man began to walk away, the port worker compulsively found the urge to ask, "Excuse me, sir, but may I ask who you are?" The old man stopped in his tracks and turned to look before the port worker found himself backing away, "I- I apologize. That was rude of me. I only mea-" 

"No." The old man turned around and assured the worker, "I should be the one apologizing. I asked you for information, and I didn't offer pleasantries. I suppose I felt the need to rush, but I suppose that is unnecessary. In that case, allow me to introduce myself." The old man bowed his head and replied, "My name is Melchior Meyvin. May I ask what your name is?"

"My na-" The port worker took a moment to say, "My name is –"

/

The former Exorcist, Eleanor Hume, along with her companion, the self-proclaimed Witch Magilou, arrived at the cliff side ruins on the outskirts of Aball. It was a place that didn't appear to have much to see while also having a lot to see at the same time. While most would overlook these ruins as merely being a memory of the past, both Eleanor and Magilou knew there was far more to these ruins than anyone else would ever know.

Eleanor stood out in the middle of the field as she stated, "I … I feel like something was here, but it's gone. What about you, Magilou?"

"Same. Whatever was here it is long gone." Magilou looked toward her 'partner' and asked "Any luck Bienfu?"

"Hmm …" Bienfu looked around, but he felt nothing, "Nope. I'm not sensing a thing either, Miss Magilou?"

Eleanor looked towards the ruins as she asked, "You don't think it went down there into the Earth Pulse do you?"

"…" Magilou glanced toward the ruins before replying, "… I don't think so. I don't have that feeling like it did but feel free to check.

"Hmm …" Eleanor glanced around the cliff side ruins. She circled around the massive hole where the Innominat once resided until she reached the edge of the cliff.

Eleanor felt her eyes get pulled. The former exorcist looked away from the ruins as she walked toward the cliff-side's edge, and she stopped just short of it. She began staring at the open ocean that lay before her as she let out a breath. She let the wind hit against her body.

The former Exorcist's eyes momentarily winced at the gust, but she reopened them. The feeling of the ocean breeze always felt different compared to how the breeze felt inland. This even felt different than when she experienced the breeze on a boat.

Eleanor stood perfectly still at the edge with her hands hanging next to her waist. Eleanor took another deep breath and closed her eyes as she let the wind touch her face. She could feel the ocean salt as the wind caused her hair to wave up like a flag.

The feel of the wind was a soothing feeling. Eleanor felt at peace as she stood still. Here mind felt clear, but she didn't feel like she could enjoy this sensation no matter how much she wished to. There was something holding her back.

"You're not going to jump are you?" The sound of Magilou's voice pierced through and shattered the peaceful atmosphere that caused Eleanor's eyes to reopen in surprise.

"…" Eleanor felt dazed and dumbfounded as she slowly turned around to see Magilou with her hands behind her head.

Magilou grinned as she gave her 'warning', "I hope you're not going to jump because I'm not much of a swimmer." The witch shrugged her shoulders as she remarked, "I probably wouldn't be able to help you even if I wanted to."

"Eh …" Eleanor was flabbergasted as she attempted to reply, "I'm not … I wasn't going to kill myself. I wasn't planning to."

"Heh." Magilou amusedly remarked, "Says the girl who has a history." Magilou held up two fingers. "A two time repeat history."

"…" Eleanor had nothing to say to refute.

Magilou motioned and instructed, "Step away from the cliff, and I might believe you." Eleanor shook her head and she moved away from the cliff which caused Magilou to say with a wide cat grin, "Okay. Now I believe you. You're such a good girl."

Eleanor shook her head again, "Honestly …"

Suddenly a light materialized originating from Magilou's body, and it was none other than her 'trusted partner' Bienfu, who always loved wearing a strange hat over his head. He assured the former Exorcist, "Miss Magilou was just worried that you were getting a little too close to th-" Before Bienfu could say another word, Magilou's finger was poking sharply at his cheek, "~~Bieeenn~!"

The Witch kept poking at her partner's cheek as she playfully told him, "I would advise you not to put words in my mouth."

"Okay! Okay!" Bienfu begged as he kept getting poked, "Please, just stop!"

"That's more like it." Magilou said with a smirk as she ceased her actions, and Bienfu returned to Magilou's body.

"Uggh …" Eleanor rubbed her forehead as she groaned. "It's no wonder he ran away from you before." The former Exorcist reprimanded the Witch, "You really should stop being mean to Bienfu."

"Actually I haven't felt the need to disciple him as harshly lately." Magilou replied with a shrug.

"Wha …" Eleanor felt dumbfounded again by that response.

"Anyway," Magilou cutoff Eleanor and reminded her, "I thought we were her to do some 'investigating' not staring into the horizon like we're stuck in a trance." Magilou leaned forward and inquired, "Is that what happened to you or what?"

"No I …" Eleanor briefly trailed off and looked away before finishing, "… I don't think so …"

Magilou had both hands on her waist as she made another inquiry, "Then what?"

Eleanor shook her head, "I don't know … It's just both times I've dreamed … Velvet is always looking out from a cliff with her back to me. You saw that, right?"

Magilou had her arms crossed, "Yes. And?"

Eleanor pointed to the edge as she answered, "And I'm very sure that cliff was meant to be here or at least meant to represent this spot. What do you think that means?"

"Huh …" Magilou scratched her chin, "Interesting. To be honest, I couldn't say for sure. However, we both know that for better or worse, this place has a strong connection to Velvet and her family. If I had to guess, I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with that."

"That is a sound theory …" Eleanor began walking around the massive hole again as she contemplated her thoughts.

Magilou followed behind Eleanor as she asked, "Unsatisfied?"

Eleanor continued walking around the hole as she replied, "On the contrary, it might actually help us, but it always brings up another point."

Magilou grinned as she asked, "And that is?'

"Maybe …" Eleanor stopped walking as she looked toward the hole and remarked, "… something about this place is stopping her from hearing me."

"…" Magilou didn't offer a response.

Eleanor replied, "If we can find out what's wrong, Velvet might finally be able to hear me again."

"Do you know what you'd say to her?" Magilou's voice was completely serious when she asked that. It was devoid of her usual playful nature.

"I … I don't know." Eleanor admitted, "Until the other day, I didn't know something like that would be possible." She clenched her fingers into a fist as she declared, "I can't let this second chance slide."

Magilou suggested, "Do you feel that guilty about what happened?"

"Guilt … Hmm …" Eleanor considered Magilou's question. She looked away from the witch before finally replying, "I don't know how to describe what I feel, but guilt is probably mixed in there … somewhere … After everything that's happened it's caused me to think about a lot of things." She repeated, "A lot of things."

Magilou asked, "Such as?"

"You know …" Eleanor looked at Magilou as she remarked, "For someone who gives a lot of vague answers, you sure are nosey."

Magilou shrugged as she replied "You don't have to answer my questions if you don't want to, but something tells me bottling it up won't do you any good."

Eleanor sighed before she reluctantly replied, 'Fine …"

"Out with it then." Magilou replied.

"Magilou." Eleanor said in a firm voice, "There's something I need to know first. I'd appreciate it if you could give me a straight answer this time."

"Sounds serious." Magilou playfully poked at her hat as she grinned at the former Exorcist before shrugging, "Fine. What is it?"

"You more or less said this before, but I want to be clear on this. You were always able to see Malak … um …" Eleanor quickly backpedaled and corrected herself, "… I mean Seraphim and Daemons even before the awakening, right?"

Magilou tilted her head and replied, "As far as I can tell, yes. There was never a time I could remember not seeing them." Magilou crossed her arms as she explained, "Melchior always told me that I was born with extremely strong resonance like he was."

"Hmm …" Eleanor glanced down as she heard that.

Magilou tilted her head as she inquired, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No." Eleanor shook her head. "It's just that … It is kinda difficult to really put how I feel into words. You've always been able to see the true state of our world from the beginning. I couldn't …" Eleanor felt uneasy as she stated, "I never was able to see either until those 'Awakenings' happened. The days that members of Velvet's family were … killed."

"…" Magilou remained silent. Not even she felt like making some type of joke or witty remark.

"When I think about it, Velvet's family had to die for the rest of us to see the truth." Eleanor bitterly summed it up, "First, Velvet's family was betrayed, which resulted in Velvet's sister being sacrificed. That allowed us to see the Daemons." Eleanor shuttered at the thought, "Then Velvet was betrayed by her own brother and brother-in-law. They betrayed her …"

"…" Magilou remained silent as she let Velvet finish. Bienfu emerged from Magilou's body as well, but even he knew it would be wise not to say a word either.

"That sacrifice caused Innominat to awaken, and we could then see and control Seraphim." Eleanor rubbed her forehead as she said, "It feels really mind boggling when I think about that. Basically, for everyone to see the truth of this world, Velvet's family … her entire family either had die or betray her."

"Hmph …" Magilou crossed her arms as she stated with a hint of bitterness, "Well our 'Lord of Calamity' basically had a history of getting screwed. She probably figured that out a long time ago."

"After everything was over, I talked to Laphicet … Maotelus about Velvet. He told me that before we had our battle with the Legates, she told him she had 'dug her own grave.' She basically told me the same thing when we were on our way to the final battle with Innominat and Artorius." Eleanor looked to the side as she said, "Because Artorius and Innominat had turned her into a Therion, Velvet knew things couldn't end well for her … at least if she wanted things to be okay for Laphicet, Kamoana, Medisa, and the other Therions."

"You know." Magilou mused, "If someone wrote a book on what happened to Velvet, they would probably write about how beautifully Velvet brought things full-circle. What started with Velvet's family getting sacrificed came to an end with her own."

"…" Eleanor bit her lip before saying, "In a way, it feels like everything Velvet's family went through was for nothing. After Velvet sacrificed herself, almost everyone has lost their ability to perceive Seraphim and Daemons. Everything that Velvet's family was sacrificed for had been undone. How can I be happy about that?"

"That's surprisingly pessimistic from you." Magilou inquired, "Don't you think you're forgetting a few things? Don't you remember what you set out to do?"

"…" Eleanor didn't offer and immediate response.

Magilou advised, "Try to think it over. If you do, I think you'll become a little less upset."

Eleanor took a breath before finally answering, "We did the right thing. I think we did anyway …'

"See." Magilou remarked. "You're on the right track. Go on."

Eleanor took another breath before continuing, "If we didn't awaken the Empyreans or defeat Innominat, the cycle would've continued. I know that if Velvet's family hadn't been sacrificed in the first place, we wouldn't have had a chance to end the cycle, and it probably would've repeated sometime down the road. It's just … It just hurts …"

"…" Magilou remained silent again.

"I don't care how ugly the truth is … I'm glad that I can still see it for myself. But why can I still see the truth?" Even though Eleanor spoke the question aloud, she wasn't finished speaking "Everyone was worried that after we awakened the Empyreans that I would start losing my ability to see the truth. We found out for ourselves the Exorcists started losing their ability to control their Seraphim, and people were starting to lose sight of them. Velvet sealing Innominat finished the job. However, even after all that, I retained my ability to see both. I can't help but wonder why I still could see them. Was this because I was Laphicet's vessel? A part of Innominat?"

"Pretty good questions," Magilou replied while stroking her chin, "I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. I could picture Laphicet's great power being partly transferred to you while you acted as his vessel against the Malevolence."

"Hmm …" Eleanor wasn't sure what to say next.

"However," Magilou suggested, "it is highly possible you were born with a great about of resonance that had remained untapped. The Awakening could've allowed that amount of hidden potential to be permanently awakened."

Eleanor inquired, "Do you really think that?"

Magilou shrugged, "I don't know. I never met you before the whole Velvet fiasco. I just know it's possible."

"I see …" Eleanor then remarked, "Either way, it's a shame that Benwick and the other members of Aifread's crew weren't as lucky. Now they can't see Eizen anymore even though he's still with them."

Magilou tilted her head as she inquired, "So do you really consider seeing Seraphim and Daemons as a gift?"

Eleanor replied without hesitation, "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know." Magilou shrugged, "Some people tend to believe 'ignorance is bliss'. After we defeated Innominat and our dear little Laphicet stepped up, he purified most of the Daemons. Since he purified the Daemons while simultaneously causing a majority of the world's population to lose their ability to perceive them, a fair number of them would probably believe that the world has been saved from Daemons entirely."

Eleanor stated, "We know that's not true. There are plenty of Daemons still out there, and they are slowly growing again."

Magilou reminded Eleanor, "That's not what most of the world believes. Most of the world is trying to get ready for reconstruction in the wake of our little war with the Abbey.

"Let them believe that if they want." Eleanor declared, "If they don't believe Daemons exist anymore, they won't be afraid of them anymore, right? Maybe that means less people will become Daemons."

"We both know that it doesn't necessarily work like that." Magilou reminded Eleanor, "Sure fear can be one factor, but it isn't the only factor."

"Well … I'm not really sure what to say …" Eleanor hesitantly remarked, "With this power, I just want to do what I can … That's all."

Magilou nodded as she remarked, "That sounds like you."

Eleanor sighed as she said, "Now that you answered my question … About what I was saying before … I did come to realize something about myself. After thinking it over, I just … You know … as disturbing as it is … I got off much easier compared to Velvet."

"…" Magilou couldn't refute that.

Eleanor began listing, "I lost my mom, but Velvet lost both her parents. Then she lost her sister. Her brother and brother-in-law betrayed her. Thanks to both of them, she lost her arm, and she was turned into a Therion as a result. Then she was locked up for three years being forced to eat other prisoners to survive. She had no one to talk to **at all**. She thought about nothing but revenge that whole time, and I … I can't blame her."

"…" Magilou remained silent and let Eleanor continue.

Eleanor looked down as she said, "I know what it's like to become fixated on revenge, and I didn't go through anything near that." Eleanor looked up at Magilou and stated, "Honestly, after everything she's been through, it's a miracle Velvet didn't become worse. If I went through that, I … I don't want to think about it. There's no way I could've handled that."

"Hmm …" Magilou remarked, "You're right. It is pretty disturbing to think that, but you definitely did get off easy compared to our 'Lord of Calamity'. However, do you want to know something? I think it's because both you and Laphicet are what started to steer things differently for her."

"…" Eleanor remained silent.

"In case you forgot, I was there from the day she broke out of that prison." Magilou grinned as she reminisced, "She was cold and vicious. You may have gotten a taste of that when you encountered her at Hellawaes, but she was definitely a lot less colder later on."

Magilou stated, "Anyway, it won't do us much good going down memory lane. There's no point in this pity party other than getting yourself upset. I'm pretty sure neither Laphicet nor Velvet would be happy with this."

Eleanor looked down as she replied, "I'm not trying to have a pity party. I'm just thinking … Thinking about how messed up everything was. In the end, despite all the damage Velvet did, I had no right to judge her nor did anyone else from the Abbey. She destroyed things, but she didn't kill needlessly even at her worst. Only when she thought she had to. She didn't kill innocent people. Hell the boats she destroyed mostly belonged to a massive group of backstabbers. She didn't even kill all the Exorcists that fought her either."

"I take it you're referring to yourself?" Magilou rhetorically asked.

"Not just me, but I'll never forget that day when she beat me for the second time." Eleanor felt a chill as she stated, "I was at her mercy. She knew I was a threat. She knew I would pursue her again. She had every reason to kill me, but she didn't. She didn't kill me. She just knocked me out and left me on the floor."

"Most of the Exorcists she killed were in the heat of the battle." Magilou stated in a matter of fact tone, "The battle was over. She had stripped you of your Seraphim, so you lacked the ability to fight. I don't know what exactly was going through her head, but I have a feeling that killing you like that would've been too coldblooded for her."

"…" Eleanor glanced in Magilou's direction before she reluctantly began approaching the hole again as she remarked, "I guess so … Anyway, I'm going to check that hole again …"

"Be my guest." Magilou stated.

When Eleanor looked at the massive hole in front of her, her stomach churned. Her eyes widened when she noticed something. Despite her feeling, she refused to let that stop her. Instead, she stepped forward. With every footstep Eleanor took, she thought back to what Velvet had told her. Reaching the hole was taking longer than she expected, and she realized the space between her footsteps had become smaller.

When Eleanor was closer, she noticed something odd about one of the rocks by the edge. There appeared to be a color distortion. Eleanor stepped closer to get a better look only to realize the color was red, and there appeared to be a cut in the rock. Eleanor's eyes widened again, and she softly gasped at the realization of what it was. She stood up and took a step backwards.

"What's wrong?" Magilou asked in concern.

"Is …" Eleanor shakily pointed at the red stained rocks, "Is that blood?"

"Mmm …" Magilou walked over to the rocks and leaned forward to get a better look. She tilted her head as she examined it. "I'd say probably."

"…" Eleanor murmured out loud, "It's Velvet's blood …"

"Umm …" Even Magilou found herself taken aback by that. She then quickly suggested, "It could be her brother's …" Magilou then stopped herself when she realized that suggestion wasn't much better.

"Maybe …" Eleanor didn't sound particularly convinced as she stated, "… but I doubt it." Eleanor held up her right hand and covered part of her face as she said, "Velvet told me … She told me how she was holding onto that edge when she tried to save her brother. She told me how Artorius stood above her then he stabbed and cut off her hand … The blood is by the edge … This must be the where she held on … There's even a scratch in the stone."

"Huh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow.

"Look at the stone carefully." Eleanor pointed at the unnatural indentation. "You'll see there's a scratch in the stone. Like it had been chipped by something like a blade."

"Hmm …" Magilou kneeled down to inspect where Eleanor was talking about. Sure enough it was there. A small chip that cut into the stone like a triangle. It was barely noticeable, but it was there and surrounded by the red stains.

"What do you know … I think you might right." Magilou uneasily remarked as she stood up. "It looks like we may've discovered one of the last physical remnants of our 'Lord of Calamity' or at least when she was still human."

"Still human …" Eleanor said to herself as her knees remained on the rocks. "The last memory she ever had as a human was seeing her village be destroyed, her brother sacrificed, and her brother-in-law cutting off her arm … That's how her human life ended …"

"…" Even Magilou needed to close her eyes for a moment. She reopened her eyes and then touched Eleanor's shoulder, "We should go." Magilou bluntly stated, "Velvet would be pissed if we were pitying her, and we're not going to solve anything by sticking around here. We should head back. We can try figuring something out when we get back to Velvet's place."

Eleanor sighed before she reluctantly agreed, "… You're right. Let's eat something."

Magilou grinned as she replied, "Now that's more like it. You need brain power to solve this. I'll look forward to your cooking again."

"All right …" Eleanor stood up and walked away from the ruins with Magilou in tow.

As Eleanor walked, she suddenly felt a breeze that caused her to stop in her tracks. It was a cool breeze that she felt travel up her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she looked behind her. Her long hair was flailing like a flag when she tried looking upwind. However, she saw nothing. She looked around, but everything was the same as it had been a moment ago. The breeze then died down as quickly as it began.

"…" Eleanor looked down in disappointment.

"Did something catch your attention?" Magilou inquired.

"It was just the wind …" Eleanor solemnly remarked before continuing their walk back to the Crowe household.

"Hmm …" Magilou looked back to the scene, but she failed to notice anything out of place before she continued following Eleanor back to Aball.

When the two were gone, the ruins that once housed Innominat were vacant once again. However, as soon as there were no witnesses remaining, a distortion in the sunlight began to form in midair. It was there for only a second, but it was there. Then it was gone. The air was clear as if nothing had been there with Magilou and Eleanor remaining blissfully unaware.

/

 **Author Notes** : When you think about it, Eleanor did either try or consider suicide at least two or three times during the game. First, she nearly forced Velvet to cut her throat after losing their duel, so she could avoid being Velvet's 'servant/ally'. Second, she nearly offered herself as a potential sacrifice. What could be considered a third time was during her side quest when she nearly succumbed to Malevolence. She knew what happened, but she nearly let herself to be swallowed as 'atonement' or at least recognizing she sees herself somewhat as a hypocrite for her past. Needless to say, I wanted Magilou to bring up that past.

While Melchior had done some rather unpleasant things, he was not tainted by Malevolence. It was how everything he did was due to how he believed it suited the 'higher purpose' or something along those lines. He continued to believe everything he did was for the greater good even if it involved manipulation, brainwashing, enslavement, and torture. Basically, he was able to do some rather horrific deeds and get away with them because in his arrogance he believed he was doing it for a pure crusade.

Quite frankly, I felt Melchior's death in the video game was by far the most satisfying in the game. I despise arrogant characters like him who think they are so high and mighty which makes his downfall cathartic. Not to mention, his life force was used in opposition to the very cause he was fighting for which makes his demise all the more karmic. He managed to get others to do what he wanted to do whether they were under his control or not. It was fitting that his own life was used for Velvet's own purposes.

On another note, I looked up, and I found out that blood can stain rocks. Blood can seep into it. I wasn't sure at first, but it turns out it does. I figured I would have Eleanor discover the bloodstain rock since that was the beginning of the end for a lot of things.

For those of you who don't know, Bandai Namco heavily censored the Laphicet sacrifice scene in the Western release for "Tales of Berseria." It didn't matter that the anime adaptation for the beginning of the game retained the original sacrifice scene, they decided to censor it. As much as I loved "Tales of Berseria," I abhor the censorship. It downgrades the product.

The censorship was awkwardly done, and I believe it hurt the emotional impact it would have on Velvet. Seeing Artorius use magic to sacrifice Laphicet makes it look like he is killing him 'indirectly'. Seeing him stab Laphicet makes the sacrifice far more disturbing and personal since Artorius was literally getting his hands dirty. Using magic makes it feel like he sort of gets off scot-free. I know it's not, but it just feels so pathetic compared to how it was more brutal.

Anyway, I feel like this story is getting closer and closer to wrapping up. Still a few more chapters to go, but I would like to think that we are not far from the conclusion. I'll do my best to wrap it up before 2018 is over.


	5. A Witch's Secrets

**Author Notes** : There was a minor misconception regarding Chapter Four. The beginning of Chapter Four was a flashback. Melchior is deader than dead during the present. Based on how "Tales of Berseria" ended, Melchior being able to reincarnate into a different Seraphim is most likely impossible.

Velvet used Melchior's soul along with three others to reawaken the four Empyreans, and it is strongly implied his life force 'reincarnated' into one of them. However, based on the fact, that the Empyreans were no friend to Innominat, it is quite clear that this 'reincarnation' would not be a true continuation to Melchior's previous existence. As a result, I'm pretty sure we can take that to mean Melchior is dead and will remain that way without a shadow of a doubt.

Anyway, remember how Chapter Three began with that flashback scene with a nameless narrative. I had the nameless dock worker reference Velvet's sister, Cecilia, by name along with mentioning her husband. That scene ended with a mysterious boat arriving, and Chapter Four's flashback scene was a continuation of that scene. Just like the first scene of this chapter will be a continuation of that flashback.

I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the scenes with Eleanor reflecting on her past and speaking with Magilou. I felt like it was a good way to showcase how they grew in the video game. Eleanor had come to regret her past while Magilou is more willing to be helpful to others. I like writing the scenes between the two. While I prefer writing scenes with Velvet interacting with Eleanor, we all know that is not possible given Velvet's unfortunate position in this story.

As usual, I hope you will all enjoy this chapter and provide feedback.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Five: A Witch's Secrets

/

Please do not forget

Memories are part of you

Be more than your past

/

On a day long ago, it was a day at the docks of **Taliesin**. It was a day like any other. The dock worker had heard that some people felt a little 'strange,' but the feeling passed. He was working at the dock when he heard something that he wished he could have unheard.

"Hey!" A man was racing to him as he shouted in a panicked voice. It was the dock worker's friend. When he arrived he looked as though he would keel over as he rested his hands on his knees.

"Wha …" The dock worker was bewildered as he asked, "What's going on?"

"You …" His friend looked disturbed as he rhetorically asked, "You haven't heard the news, have you?"

The dock worker looked over his shoulder as he was carrying some cargo, "What?"

"Aball was attacked by bandits two days ago!" The man exclaimed.

"What!?" The man dropped the cargo on the dock and turned around, "What the hell happened? I thought the bandit problem was under control!"

"I thought so to." The man's friend replied, "I heard that Aball had trouble with them before, but not like this."

"What happened to the village?" The man quickly followed up, "Is everyone okay?'

"Well … I haven't heard everything but …" The friend trailed off.

"But what?" The man grabbed his friend's shoulder and shook him, "But what? What happened?"

"The village survived, but I heard someone died …" This friend was having difficulty continuing.

"Who was it?" The dock worker asked.

His friend bit his lip before he replied, "It was … It was Celica …"

"Wha …" The dock worker let go of his friend as he began to feel lightheaded, "What did you say …"

His friend looked away as he reluctantly repeated, "Celica was killed …"

"Celica. As in Celica Crowe …." The dock worker slowly said as he held his head, She's dead …?"

"I …" His friend shook his head as he said, "I didn't want to believe it either … but her husband … he said …"

"How …?" The dock worker asked in disbelief.

"He didn't say …" His friend did his best to reiterate what he heard, "He said she was attacked, and he tried to protect her but he … he couldn't …"

"But he's an expert swordsman … How … What happened …" The dock worker asked in disbelief while also feeling wobbly on his feet.

"I don't know … But Arthur's arm was injured … Real bad … Whoever he fought against did a number on him." His friend was in a state of disbelief as well as he spoke, "I can't even begin to imagine what he was up against."

"No … No this can't be … How … Who could possibly do this … Who …?" The dock worker held his head as a number of things rushed into his head.

"…" His friend could not offer a word.

However, the dock worker's eyes widened as he reached his own conclusion, "Him!"

"What?" His friend raised an eyebrow.

"Hey!" The dock worker grabbed his friend's shoulder again, "Did anyone named Melchior come back from Aball?"

"Wha …" His friend was having trouble keeping up, "Who?"

"The bizarre, old man from that ship that docked a few days ago!" The dock worker explained, "He was going to Aball!"

"He was?" The friend replied, "That's not good. I hope he didn't get dragged into …"

The worker interrupted his friend, "He's the one responsible!"

"What?" His friend was having a hard time following. 

"There was never a problem like this before he showed up!" The dock worker concluded, "He's the one responsible for what happened! I know it!"

The dock worker began to leave before being stopped by his friend, "Woah, there! What are you going on about? What're you doing?!"

"I'm going to find that old, bastard!" The dock worker declared, "I'm gonna find him, and I'm going to make him pay for what he did!"

/

It had been a long day for Eleanor. Unfortunately, she was less than successful in her venture, and had to return to the Crowe household empty household with Magilou in tow. The sun was beginning to wane when they arrived.

Eleanor saw that her horse had remained tied up to where she had left her. Eleanor ran towards her horse. She pulled out some food and said to the poor horse, "You must be hungry. Sorry for keeping you here so long."

As soon as Eleanor held out the carrot, the horse immediately bit into it. While it was eating, Eleanor rubbed the horse's head and softly spoke, "That's a good girl. I promise we won't stay here much longer. I just need a little more time. I promise"

After Eleanor spoke, she heard the horse make a sound. Even though she couldn't understand what the horse could be saying, she took it as a sound of approval. Eleanor continued to stroke the horse's head as she said, "Thank you for understanding."

"Didn't take you for a mind reader." Magilou commented while having her hands behind her head.

Eleanor did not look in Magilou's direction as she continued to pet her horse, "I'm just good with getting a sense of the animals. My mom helped me with that …" Eleanor sighed as she let go of her horse.

"So what, now?" Magilou asked.

"I don't know …" Eleanor looked over to the makeshift grave she created for Velvet. "I was kinda hoping what we did would've taken care of things."

"Disappointed?" Magilou rhetorically asked.

"…" Eleanor looked down before calmly replying to Magilou's question, "Of course I am. I was really sure we were going to find something. Those ruins … they … They've been the answer to a lot of things. There wasn't a doubt in my mind we were going to find something."

"We weren't exactly wrong." Magilou pointed out, "We did sense that something 'was' there. It just seemed to vanish. There's not much I can say about it."

Eleanor sighed as she resigned to the idea, "I guess we'll need to keep looking. If it's not hiding at those ruins, then it must be hiding somewhere else."

"I know this was frustrating today, but take it from me." Magilou advised, "You need to take this one step at a time. If you think things over, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"You know …" Eleanor remarked, "I have to say it does feel rather strange to hear you giving me advice."

"Well." Magilou grinned as held up her hand and shook her pointer finger in front of Eleanor, "Normally, I'd charge you for my tips and pep talks on life, but I'm feeling generous today, and I'll cut you a break."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Is that right?'

Magilou continued grinning, "Yep."

Eleanor decided to asked, "In that case, do you have any other sage advice you'd be willing to donate because I'm open to suggestions."

"I thought you'd never ask." Magilou sounded smug as she continued giving Eleanor advice, "Looking around in random places might not work. Maybe there is something we're overlooking. Something obvious."

Eleanor suggested, "Like maybe a pattern to its movements or something like that?"

"Ah." Magilou snapped her fingers, "Exactly. Humans have a tendency to be creatures of habit. It could stand to reason that Daemons can be that as well since a number of them originate from humans. On a related note, it also stand to reason that Malakim, or as we now like to call them Seraphim, are creatures of habit, as well."

"So we need to figure out what its patterns are?" Eleanor then suggested, "Maybe we could do a stakeout somewhere?"

"Hmm …" Magilou scratched her chin as she considered, "That might not be a bad idea. If we stick somewhere long enough maybe we'll get something interesting."

"If we did a stakeout, what do you think we should do?" Eleanor asked.

"I think it's obvious." Magilou advised, "We rest tonight, and we stock up on some food supplies. Then handling a simple stakeout won't be a problem as long as we have a tent or something."

"Yeah … That is pretty obvious …" Eleanor sheepishly said, "I guess simple plans really can be the best."

"Of course, and I'm the best at coming up with them." Magilou puffed up her chest and placed her hand on it as she declared, "For I'm the great Genius Witch, Magilou Meyvin."

Eleanor sarcastically replied, "Well you're certainly humble."

Without missing a beat, Magilou replied, "Yes. I truly am." Magilou spun around as she boasted, "I really should've given myself a grander title to go along with my greatness, but I held back."

"Um …" Eleanor felt herself become dumbstruck.

Bienfu emerged from Magilou's body and spoke, "Believe me Madam Eleanor. This is being humble in Miss. Magilou's eyes." He spoke quietly enough that it didn't disturb Magilou's self-imposed glory.

Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone, "I believe you." Eleanor then spoke up to Magilou, "Hey, Magilou! When you're done patting yourself on the back, I'll get dinner ready. We're going to be doing that stakeout starting tomorrow, so we should rest up."

"Okay. Okay." Magilou replied while putting her hands behind her head and following Eleanor into the Crowe household.

/

After the duo returned to Velvet's old home, Eleanor cooked them dinner, and she prepared some makeshift food rations for their planned stakeout. When she was done, Eleanor saw that there was still sunlight burning outside. As the sun continued setting, Eleanor left the Crowe household, and stood in front of Velvet's makeshift grave. She looked down on it solemnly.

"…" Eleanor stood their quietly as she looked at the grave. She put her hands together and remained silent.

That silence was broken by, "I've seen you pity yourself before, but this seems different. For once, you're not on the verge of letting Malevolence get a hold of you."

"Hmph …" Eleanor was not amused. She remained looking at the grave and didn't even give Magilou a glance as she said, "Just because I'm sad doesn't mean Malevolence can corrupt me. I'm not going to make the same mistake." 

Magilou casually remarked while shrugging, "Of course not."

Eleanor asked herself as she glanced at Magilou, _"Is she being sarcastic?"_

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Magilou put a finger on her cheek, as she playfully asked, "Is there something on my face?"

Eleanor shook her head and took a breath, before remarking, "Forget it." Eleanor reminded herself, _"She's trying to get under my skin like she did with Velvet. I'm her new Velvet."_

"Forget it?" Magilou shrugged her shoulders as she said, "Now. Now. That just won't do. Aren't you going to answer? It's kinda rude to stay silent like that."

"I'm sorry." Eleanor answered in a deadpan tone, "I was just thinking about how inappropriate you can be. You do realize this is a grave site, right?"

"Meh." Magilou shrugged again, "I've figured it was for the best to lighten the mood. Besides, you know she's not really dead."

"I know but …" Eleanor hesitated to remind herself, "… she's probably never going to wake up. Is there a real difference?'

"Hmph." Magilou scratched her head before conceding and putting her hands behind her head, "Touché. She probably will never wake up, but she made the choice."

"You make it sound like the other choice was better." Eleanor remarked, "If Innominat was killed, she, Laphicet, Kamoana, Medissa, and all the other Therions would've died."

"Very, very true, but you weren't too surprised by what happened." Magilou nodded before pointing out, "You were sad, but not surprised."

"…" Eleanor found herself at a loss for words.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday." Magilou looked at the grave, "You might've been a little shocked, but you were quick to realize and accept what Velvet was doing. It was as if you had a feeling that was going to happen." Magilou inquired, "Care to explain?"

"…" Eleanor sighed before answering, "Before the final battle, Velvet told me … she told me she might not survive and to look after Laphicet if anything were to happen to her."

"Ah-ha." Magilou scratched her chin as she remarked, "So our Lord Calamity gave you a final order. A 'will' so to speak?"

Eleanor nodded, "More or less."

"Then you better make sure you stay alive then." Magilou stated, "Can't have you getting too depressed."

Eleanor protested, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Did you forget? I already told you this today." Magilou grinned as she reminded Eleanor, "In the relatively short time I've known you, you've tired committing suicide twice and nearly got corrupted by Malevolence."

Eleanor didn't need any help being reminded of the Malevolence incident. Although any shame she felt about that was easily overshadowed by her shame of what she did or rather what she tried to do after Velvet defeated her. "Yeah … if Laphicet hadn't stopped me … I was such a fool back then."

Magilou pointed out, "And you remained one for quite a while."

As much as Eleanor wished to feel annoyed, she couldn't as she reluctantly replied, "Yes and … Wait a minute! What about the second … Oh …" Eleanor stopped herself as she said, "You were talking about the Empyrean thing …"

"Yeah." Magilou pointed out, "Rokurou and I may've interrupted you, but you were going to offer yourself to Velvet, so she could sacrifice your life and soul to awaken the Empyreans. Always so quick to get yourself killed."

"…" Eleanor did not protest.

Magilou then remarked, "I seriously doubt Velvet would've sacrificed you even if you did finish your proposal. And it wouldn't have been any fun if you did get yourself offered either."

"You sound like you actually care." Eleanor asked, "You do, don't you?"

"Mmm …" Magilou put a finger next to her lip as she replied, "I'd say more like I have a … vested interest on where you'll go from here."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow, "A what?"

Magilou repeated and explained, "A vested interest. You've changed quite a bit from that naïve Exorcist wannabe-hero that Velvet met back in Hellawes. I can see quite a lot of potential still within you. I think it'd be quite entertaining to see how things play out, but it would be a shame to see the show cancelled too soon. It would also be a bummer if it ended up becoming a story that no one would want to know."

"Hmm …" Eleanor asked, "You really think that?"

"That's right." Magilou playfully stated, "I'll help you out of this mess, but I might not always be there to back you up. Try to keep that in mind."

"I will." Eleanor nodded, "Thanks. Magilou."

"It's a little too early for that." Magilou reminded Eleanor, "We still need to find out what's going on here."

"It doesn't matter." Eleanor grinned as she said, "I take it that your life would get pretty boring if I were to die out there."

"Not completely." Magilou poked her head with her right pointer finger as she said, "I have plenty of things that entertain me. I'd just have one less."

Eleanor replied, "Right. I'm sure."

"Velvet was plenty entertaining, too." Magilou remarked, "So was everyone else, but she was especially fun." Magilou put her hands behind her head as she remarked, "Oh the memories. Velvet declared war on the Abbey, and she won in the end. I never would've thought it'd be possible, but she made the impossible possible. It was a lot of fun to watch it happen." Magilou marveled as she said, "To think, I'd have an exclusive front row seat."

"Yeah …" Eleanor admitted as she looked down at the makeshift grave, "She really did have a gift for that."

Magilou looked down at the grave as she surmised, "The whole world may never know the actual truth, but even the public can see the disarray and damage she caused with how the Abbey is in pieces and all their leaders are 'missing.' It'll be a matter of time before the status for those five will be changed form MIA to 'Presumed Deceased'."

"…" Eleanor said nothing.

"Anyway," Magilou said, "I'm pretty sure you have more than Velvet on your mind, don't you?"

"Well …" Eleanor admitted while her eyes remained fixed on the grave, "You know when I think about the Exorcists who died during our war with the Abbey ... Sometimes I feel kinda bad for them, but sometimes I don't feel bad at all."

"Oh …" Magilou seemed to be having fun as she remarked, "I guess even our most empathetic Exorcist, isn't always going to extend her sympathies."

"I'm being serious." Eleanor looked at Magilou, "They all didn't have to die. They died because of their own mistakes …" Eleanor tensed up as she looked down at the grave again, "Mistakes they should've known were a bad idea."

"Let me guess, you're referring to those halfsibling Exorcists aren't you? What were their names again …" Magilou ponders before snapping her fingers when she successfully recalled, "Ah, yes. Oscar and Theresa. Is that, right?"

"Yes …" Eleanor nodded, "I remember how guilty Velvet felt after she killed them. When it happened, I felt bad, too, but I've thought about what happened that day again and again. After thinking about it, I don't believe it was her fault." Eleanor shook her head, "No. When I think about it, it definitely wasn't her fault."

"Indeed." Magilou had her arms crossed as he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Their deaths were entirely their own faults, but I'm sure you can understand that was a trigger for her."

"I … I know. I can't imagine what was going through her head." Eleanor recalled the day of that fateful battle. It caused her to shiver at the mere thought of it. "I remember being horrified when it happened. They were alive one minute and the next they were lifeless corpses staring into nothingness."

"Yes … Rather morbid," Magilou stated, "Even I won't deny how shocking it can feel to witness someone's death like that."

"However, as horrified as I felt, that feeling passed like any other after some time passed." Eleanor held her chest as she said, "Like that feeling was never there."

Magilou looked over to Eleanor as she stated, "People do tend to feel different about things after they step back and think."

"Yes …" Eleanor then remarked, "After all, my feelings about Velvet changed over time …"

Magilou concurred, "Yes they did. They did indeed."

"When I think about those two, it feels …" Eleanor's face involuntarily shifted. Her cheeks felt strange as her face cringed. It felt like she was mixed with anger and sadness as she held her chest, "… complicated. Oscar was good to me. He cared about his fellow Exorcists. I truly believe that he thought he was doing things for the greater good. Theresa was … well not as nice to put it mildly, but she treated the people under her jurisdiction well, and she cared for her brother with all her heart. Right to the end …"

"Heh …" Magilou remarked in a deadpan tone, "I think you're putting 'that' mildly."

Eleanor did her best to remain objective as she said, "If we put that aside, they were both complicit in absolutely reprehensible things. Oscar knew about how Therions were being created, locked up, and tortured like Velvet and Kamoana."

"Basically, we can sum it up as him being a pretty boy who acted nice to others, but he had no qualms hiding a closet full of skeletons. He was also more than willing to hurt children and girls for the 'greater good.'" Magilou grinned as she rhetorically asked, "Sound familiar?"

"…" Eleanor did not offer a response.

Magilou stated, "I'm sure Velvet was more than fed up by the time we met him at Kamoana prison." Magilou clapped as she reminisced, "Those two treated us to a real classic moment, I will still laugh whenever I think about how she kicked his ass after he made you cry."

"I …" Eleanor felt herself at a loss for words.

"Heh …" Magilou held her stomach as she remarked, "I remember how he was prattling on and on about how what the Abbey did to Kamoana and her mother was justified before Velvet ran up and kicked him in the face." Magilou began laughing as she repeated, "Right in the face. She sent him flying like a ball. That's gotta be the most epic way to get someone to shut up. I'll never forget what she said next." Magilou did her best to imitate Velvet while crossing her arms, "'It's not nice to make girls cry.'"

Eleanor shook her head, "I can't forget that either … I'll never forget that only a few hours before that I more or less called her a monster, but she defended me when I cried. She could've done a lot of other things too, but she didn't."

Magilou stated, "You might not know this, but Velvet considered killing that eyepatch, pretty boy, Exorcist right then and there but she didn't because of you."

"Huh?" Eleanor looked over to Magilou.

"She knew you were on the brink as it was, and she decided to hold back." Magilou stated, "She held back for you even before she knew of Malevolence."

"If she …" Eleanor asked, "So is that supposed to mean what happened on that day was my fault?"

"What …?" Magilou seemed surprised by the question before assuring Eleanor, "No. That is not what I was going for. They got themselves killed that day. No two ways about it."

"…" Eleanor was surprised by how strangely comforting Magilou was being.

Magilou cleared her throat as she said, "Don't forget that they made their own choices that got them killed." Magilou reminded Eleanor, "Velvet offered Theresa a chance for both of them to get out alive, and Theresa tried to backstab us even after we saved her life." Magilou shrugged and shook her head, "Talk about an ungrateful bitch. A stupid one at that."

"I …" Eleanor replied, "I know that's what I should be thinking, but I can't bring myself to 'completely' feel like that."

"That's just who you are." Magilou then bluntly stated, "I'm not 'incapable' of sympathy, but I don't feel any of those two. In fact, I actually felt satisfied that Velvet was able to use their souls to awaken the Empyreans and undo the Abbey's work. Felt like a karmic fate for them."

"But that also …" Eleanor trailed off before changing what she was going to say, "I … I definitely understand that. That why I sometimes don't feel bad for them at all. If anything, I just feel angry." Eleanor's fingers closed into a fist as she finished that last sentence.

"Try not to get too angry my dear Exorcist." Magilou warned the Exorcist, "It'll ruin your perfectly cute face."

"…" Eleanor was still not amused.

Magilou shrugged, "Okay, fine. You're not in the mood for jokes. Just try not to let any of that nasty Malevolence get a hold of you. Velvet and Laphicet wouldn't like that."

Eleanor stated, "I promised myself that I'd never let that happen again."

"Just so you know …" Magilou stated, "When that happened, even I was a little worried about you. How ironic that two Daemons ended up saving you from becoming one of them."

Eleanor nodded, "Yeah. That's a debt I'll always owe Velvet and Rokurou."

Magilou said, "Well enough about all this 'reflection' for now. It's getting depressing. Why don't we focus on the future. I'll get started, what you will do if we catch this mysterious Daemon?"

"I… I don't know …" Eleanor replied, "I know what I would've done before, but things are … Well they're different now. However, I know we have to stop it before he or she can hurt anyone else. That's what we need to focus on."

"Come on. Don't give me that Exorcist stuff." Magilou stated, "I'm asking what will you do? There's a difference."

"…" Eleanor didn't give an answer.

Magilou advised, "Maybe you should try start doing some reflecting on that."

"I will, but there is something I want to know first." Eleanor said.

"Hmm?" Magilou asked, "What would that be?"

"Magilou …" Eleanor asked, "Did you ever want revenge on Melchior?"

"Ex …" Magilou was momentarily stunned by the unexpected question as showcased by her widened eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Melchior basically raised you, didn't he? Just like Velvet, Melchior betrayed and abandoned you like you were nothing. You must've hated him for that. How couldn't you?" Eleanor then pointed out, "You also said you found what Velvet did to Oscar and Theresa as 'karmic'. Doesn't that mean you feel the same for what Velvet did to Melchior, too?"

"…" Magilou took a step back before giving an 'answer', "That is an … interesting question. A very interesting question."

"Do you have an answer?" Eleanor asked.

Magilou replied, "Before I met all of you, I didn't think about it. Not much anyway."

"…" Eleanor took a moment to process this before further inquiring, "Are you saying you suppressed it?"

Magilou waved it off, "If that's how you'd like to define it, go ahead. As I was trying to say, Melchior pulled the same trick on me that he pulled on Velvet."

"Same trick …" Eleanor said to herself before her eyes widened, and she asked, "The dream magic?"

"Yes." Magilou crossed her arms, "He tested me, and I failed. He kicked me away after that.

"…" Eleanor didn't know what to say.

Magilou asked, "Nothing to say?"

Eleanor replied, "I don't know what to say … I'm curious but I …"

"But you don't want to hurt Miss. Magilou by asking, right?" Bienfu spoke up as he appeared between the two.

"I … Yes." Eleanor admitted.

"Hmm …" Bienfu turned around to face Magilou. "With your permission Miss. Magilou, perhaps I could answer the question on your behalf."

"…" Magilou took a moment to reply, "Fine. Whatever."

"So … You're okay with that?" Bienfu asked for clarity.

Magilou stated, "I said 'fine'. Go ahead."

"Okay ..." Bienfu looked to Eleanor and said, "I'm sure you may recall a few things about what Miss. Magilou has said about her origins."

"Yes," Eleanor bluntly stated, "but it's kinda hard to keep track of what she said."

Bienfu nodded, "That's understandable. She really enjoys switching between her 'sarcastic and playful' side with her 'serious and helpful' side."

"…" Magilou remained silent as Bienfu spoke.

"That is one way of summing her up." Eleanor remarked.

"Anyway, a number of things Miss. Magilou said were true." Bienfu confirmed, "She is much older than you despite her youthful appearance. She was abandoned by her family because she was different, and the other stuff that she mentioned happening did happen."

"…" This time both Eleanor and Magilou remained silent.

"A few things happened, and Miss. Magilou ended up in Melchior's care." Bienfu did his best to summarize, "He raised her to be his successor. Miss Magilou's power was incredible. She easily passed every test she was given. There didn't seem to be anything that could stop her from eventually achieving her full potential until one fateful day. A test that even Miss Magilou couldn't prepare for came her way."

Eleanor leaned forward, "What happened?"

Bienfu needed to take a breath before answering, "He made Miss Magilou dream of a loving family that cared for her."

"What?"' Eleanor eyes widened as she felt herself back away.

Bienfu looked down as he sorrowfully told the story, "Melchior wanted Miss Magilou to shake it off and know it was nothing more than a dream, but … It was just too much. Miss Magilou always wanted a family, and she embraced the dream."

Eleanor finished the story, "And then he casted her out."

"Yes." Bienfu sadly nodded.

Eleanor looked to Magilou who had her arms crossed and looking away in silence. She then looked back to Bienfu and asked, "Does anyone else know about this?"

Bienfu replied, "I more or less gave most of the details to Velvet and Laphicet when we were staying at Meirchio. I sort of did it without Miss. Magilou's permission which is why I got it this time."

Eleanor softly replied, "I see …"

Magilou remarked, "Don't try looking at me like that, Eleanor. It happened a long time ago. There's no point in dwelling on it."

"Yes …" Eleanor softly replied, "You're right."

Magilou walked towards the house as she said, "I think it's about time we hit the hay. We got a big day tomorrow."

/

Shortly after Eleanor went to sleep that night, she woke up to find herself standing somewhere. She was not in the Crowe household. However, she was somewhere close by.

As she looked around, Eleanor realized she was standing in the middle of Aball. It was different than how it should be. There were people. Living people. Eleanor saw Aball was similar to how she and the others saw Aball in the Melchior dream. It was a thriving community again with people speaking to each other at the store, and she saw several people at the gate setting up defenses.

As she continued to look, she saw several people she recalled seeing in the 'Dream Aball', but they all appeared to be younger.

"What is …?" Eleanor began to say.

"Come on!" Before Eleanor could finish her sentence, she heard a young girl who was running towards her, holding the hand of a little boy she was dragging along as she ran.

This little girl looked familiar to Eleanor, but she wasn't sure what was going on. The little girl was rushing towards her as if she couldn't see her. Eleanor wanted to move out of the way, but she found herself unable to move. It felt as if her feet were stuck to the floor. Eleanor looked down, but she saw nothing holding them. Eleanor looked up to see the little girl was right in front. Before Eleanor could do anything the little girl ran straight through her.

"What?" Eleanor touched her body to feel she was still whole. She looked over her shoulder to see that the little girl and the boy were fine. She couldn't help but feel relieved by that. Suddenly, the scenery around Eleanor began to change. "Huh …?"

Eleanor's eyes were darting in every direction. The 'Aball' she was in faded, and she was briefly surrounded by darkness. Then a new environment appeared before her. She found herself in a forest area. Eleanor recognized this forest as the forest pathway to the ruins. She then saw the two children making their way through the forest.

The little girl was holding a fishing rod with one hand and the little boy's hand with the other. She also had a backpack on filled with what Eleanor presumed was fishing gear. The little boy did not have the same level of stamina that the girl had. She had to stop for the little boy to catch his breath.

The young girl with long, black hair held the little boy's hand. She said, "Come on, Laphi. We're gonna miss all the fish."

"Laphi?" Eleanor asked out loud.

"I'm … I'm trying …" The boy referred to as Laphi said, "Just let me catch my breath, Velvet."

"What?" Eleanor's eyes widened upon hearing that.

/

 **Author Notes** : I always did wonder how Magilou really felt about Melchior. It is quite clear she did not like him too much in the present day as showcased by the 'reason you suck speech' she gave him before their final battle. However, I'm sure Magilou felt some lingering affection for the man similar to how Velvet retained some lingering affection for Artorius and her brother despite their betrayals.

How people can feel after betrayal isn't always cut and dry. Logically speaking, they have every right to hate the person. However, they can still feel a certain degree of affection for the person because that person was an important part of their life. That was proven by how Velvet cried after finally managing to kill Atrocious. While it is clear that Velvet did feel satisfied with finally getting revenge, and she did not regret it, she did hate the fact that she felt it was even necessary in the first place.

While I'm not sure if Magilou would give Bienfu permission to give her story, I figured there is a chance she might. Magilou knows that Eleanor wouldn't be the type to tell other people's secrets, so she knows anything said would not leave Aball. Additionally, Magilou did subtly become nicer throughout the story. While she consistently remains a troll, she was willing to be helpful, and it became clear she did come to care for the party in her own crazy way.

As of this moment, I'm pretty sure this story has reached about the half-way point. I'm hoping to complete this story before the end of 2018. It will be a challenge, but I will do what I can to rise to it. Hopefully, things will play out well.

Once again, I hope you all enjoyed reading this story, and I hope you will provide feedback. It will be greatly appreciated.


	6. Shadows of the Past

**Author Notes** : For the previous chapter, I'm glad Eleanor and Magilou's characterization has been well received. I think this story has been able to reflect on how both of them had grown and changed during the events of the game. As I mentioned before, while Magilou pretended to care, it definitely became clear that was no longer the case towards the later parts of the game. It was also nice to see some moments that made it clear that despite how annoyed the other characters felt about her, they were willing to give her backup.

I personally feel that Melchior would forever be a touchy subject for Magilou. When Melchior confronted Magilou, she displayed a strong and angry side to Melchior that she never displayed to anyone prior. The man saved and raised her, but when she failed a test in a moment of weakness, he abandoned her. Rather than trying to help her, he considered her a 'failure' to be cast a side. It seemed rather karmic that Magilou would prove he was a 'failure' as well which led to his death.

Even though I enjoy writing this story, the number of reviews for the previous chapter was a disappointment. However, despite that disappointment, I plan on seeing this story to its completion. The ending of this story is in sight, and I look forward to completing it. It certainly has been fun.

I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would please provide feedback.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Six: Shadows of the Past

/

The past can be dark

The past can be beautiful

The past cannot change

/

Eleanor stood silently. She could hear her heart racing. Standing before her was her long lost love, Velvet Crowe. Unfortunately, it was not the same Velvet she knew. This was a younger version long before she become tainted by malevolence. She was still a human girl. Kind, innocent, and completely unware of the cruel fate that awaited her.

The former Exorcist's mouth was left agape as she watched the child self of her former lover hold hands with the younger version of the original 'Laphicet'. Seeing that caused her heart to be tied up in a knot. Even if Eleanor could do something, she would be frozen.

Eleanor's feelings and senses were confused. She has no idea what was going on. No idea of how to comprehend or feel about what was happening. All she could do was watch the scene unfold."

"Come on, Laphi!" The young Velvet had her hands on her hips as she spoke to her younger brother. "We're never gonna make it to the ruins if you keep getting tired like this."

Laphi breathed heavily as he replied in between breaths, "I'm … sorry, Big Sis … I'm okay now."

Velvet tilted her head, "You don't sound okay. What's wrong?"

Laphi apparently caught his breath as he insisted, "I'm fine."

"Okay." The innocent Velvet appeared to take that at face value as she grabbed her brother's hand and continued to lead them further into the forest, "Let's go."

The siblings were off like a shot to visit the ruins where everything began. Eleanor didn't need them to say anything as this sense of foreboding was beginning to overcome her. She wanted to reach out, but she couldn't. All she could do was watch.

Once again the scene Eleanor was watching cutoff and faded to black. It felt like when she was watching the Earth Pulse memories, but she was able to see them up close and personal. However, as much as she wished, she couldn't do a thing to change what would happen.

When the next scene opened, Eleanor found herself in the same place she was with Magilou earlier that day. It was the ruins by the cliff that was home to Innominat. The ruins looked exactly the same as they did when she saw them. Despite that, they felt different. Eleanor knew this was when Innominat still resided deep within the hole. Knowing something so sinister was so close to Velvet and she couldn't do anything about it caused Eleanor's skin to crawl as she gripped her fingers into a fist.

When Eleanor could finally move her eyes away from the ruins, she looked to see Velvet and Laphi fishing by the edge. The same spot that Eleanor stood earlier that day. The two siblings looked so happy. They didn't have a care in the world. The smile on the child version of Velvet served as a contrast to the Velvet that Eleanor would come to know. That also reminded Eleanor that the reasons Velvet was smiling would soon be the reason she'd lose that smile.

"I see you two are having fun." A familiar but unfamiliar voice spoke. Eleanor's eyes widened as she turned around to see a younger Artorius walking towards them. At this point in time, he was known as 'Arthur', and the sound of his voice was not the only proof of that. Eleanor saw the man still had two useable arm as he walked through her. Even though it happened before, Eleanor was still surprised it happened.

"Ha." Velvet turned around and smiled as she asked, "Did you come to pick us up big brother?" Velvet sounded so happy when talking to him.

Arthur seemed amused as he crossed his arms and playfully asked his young student, "What happened to Master?"

Velvet defiantly replied, "We're not having our lessons today, so you're just my 'Big Brother', Arthur."

"Ha. Ha." Eleanor heard something she didn't expect. The sound of 'Artorius/Arthur' laughing. He grinned as he replied, "You got me there. Anyway, Celica wants you to come home. Dinner's almost ready, but she's some news she'd like to tell you both."

"Okay. Come on, Laphi." Velvet held out her hand after she stood up and picked up their fishing gear.

"…" Laphi held up his hand and Velvet grabbed it, "Whoa!" Laphi exclaimed as Velvet dragged him.

"Heh." 'Arthur' was amused by the situation as he slowly followed. "Slow down. There's no need to rush you two. Celica's not going anywhere."

Eleanor felt her heart sink upon hearing those words as the scene before her began to fade. As the scene faded to black, Eleanor's eyes remained locked on the retreating Velvet. Even as Velvet disappeared, Eleanor could see how happy Velvet was with her family. A happiness that was not meant to last. After everything faded, Eleanor couldn't hear anything, but something caused her ears to perk. She looked around, but she couldn't see a thing until the next scene revealed itself.

Once again the scene featured the young Velvet, and she had her head against someone's stomach. It was an older woman who bared a physical resemblance to Velvet. Eleanor recognized her from the Earth Pulse memories. She was Velvet's older sister, Celica. Seeing these two sisters at the same time, Celica appeared twice Velvet's age. As she witnessed in the previous Earth Pulse memories, Celica appeared to be prefect housewife material. She was a prim and proper young woman who clearly knew how to hold a household.

Eleanor looked at the Crowe Household, and she saw how clean it was. Not to mention, dinner had already been spread across the table. It looked delicious. She could see that cooking ran in their family. She could also see that Celica truly was the closest thing Velvet had to a mom.

Celica was rubbing Velvet's head as she had her head against Celica's stomach. Velvet's closed eyes opened wide as she happily exclaimed, "I think I hear him!"

Arthur skeptically asked, "You can hear the baby already? I didn't think the baby was that far along yet."

"I can hear him." Velvet pointed at her right ear as she proudly stated, "I have good ears."

"Heh." Arthur decided to play along, "I don't have a doubt about that, but what makes you so sure the baby's a boy?"

Velvet confidently stated, "I can just tell."

Celica replied, "Velvet has great instincts, dear. You're better off going along with them."

Arthur laughed, "I guess she's got me there."

"…" Eleanor glanced at 'Arthur' as she remained silent and watched this scene play out.

Velvet demanded, "You better pick a manly name for him."

Celica and Arthur both said, "We will."

It was a touching moment. A moment of innocence for all of them. They were getting ready to welcome a new life into this world. Eleanor glanced at the excited young Velvet and her equally excited younger brother Laphi. Artorius/Arthur looked the happiest Eleanor had ever seen him. Then she looked as Celica placed her hand on her stomach.

Eleanor briefly smiled as well, but it faded when she remembered who the unborn child was. Her heart sank as she thought about what would happen. What she had seen in the Eleanor Pulse memories.

"…" Eleanor looked down before looking at the pregnant Celica again. "I'm sorry Laphicet … Phi … I'm sorry you …"

"Wake up!" A loud, piercing, familiar voice shouted at Eleanor.

"Ahh!" Eleanor was startled as her eyes widened and took a step back. Her eyes were glancing around to find the source.

Crack! Crack!

Suddenly the scene before Eleanor began to break apart. Cracks were forming all around her. The surrounding environment and Velvet's family literally had cracks forming on top of them until they fell apart like a house of cards. Eleanor found herself in the same dark place she was standing in before.

"Honestly …" Eleanor's ears perked at the sound of a family voice. She turned around to see it was the 'present day' version of Velvet standing with her back to Eleanor. The former Exorcist saw Velvet do her trademark arm cross as she lamented, "I had to bail you out again. I might as well bail out the witch while I'm at it." Velvet began walking away. 

Eleanor attempted to run towards Velvet and reached out to her while shouting in vain, "Velvet!"

Unfortunately, with each step Velvet took, she was only going further away, and every step Eleanor took was getting her nowhere. It was as if the invisible ground she was standing on prevented her from getting closer to Velvet.

Velvet continued walking, "You weren't too far off. Try to end this before it's too late. With those words, Velvet vanished into darkness. Eleanor reach out again, but Velvet was gone again. Then the dream faded.

/

"Ah!" Eleanor gasped as her eyes opened wide. She stared up to see the ceiling inside Velvet's old room. Eleanor slowly sat up and placed her hand on her head. She said to herself, "I wasn't too far off … Then am I ... No. I was right. Eleanor got out of bed and called out, "Magilou! Bienfu!"

Eleanor was still in her sleepwear when she ran out into the main room and called out again, "Are you two awake?"

"Yeah, yeah … No need to shout …" Magilou lazily replied. The witch walked to the railway on the second floor and leaned on it. Her hair appeared rather 'disheveled' compared to her normal style. She also appeared to sleep in her regular 'witch outfit'. Her hand was over her mouth as she yawned, "That was something …"

Eleanor rhetorically asked, "Did you dream that, too?"

"We sure did." Bienfu appeared as he commented, "Looks like Velvet always had messy hair."

"That's all you got out of it?" Eleanor asked in disbelief.

Magilou was leaning on the railing as she said, "I have to say, I'm kind miffed that my 'best friend' decided to make me number '2' on her priority list. Seriously?" Magilou became dramatic as she repeated, "Oh! What a world! What a world!"

Eleanor sighed before saying, "Velvet told me we aren't far off from finding the source. Did she tell you that, too?"

Magilou replied, "Yeah. She did."

Eleanor then concluded, "In that case, I think we had the right place, but we were there at the wrong time." 

"Is that right?" Magilou grinned, "I'm listening."

Eleanor stated her resolve, "We need to do what you suggested. We're going to stake out those ruins. Then we can end this."

/

 **Author Notes** : One thing that disappointed me about the Earth Pulse memories was that we never got to see the young Velvet interact with either her sister or brother-in-law. While we do get to see 'Arthur' escort them to safety on the night Celica died, it was primarily a first person perspective from Velvet, and they only have that one scene. We get to briefly see a young Velvet and 'Laphi' in the Tales of Zesteria anime, but it is only a cameo appearance.

Due to this disappointment, I decided to have that young Velvet interact with all the members of her family. It was simultaneously heartwarming and sad knowing that they all loved each other, but we know what their fates would be. The Crowe family truly drew the short straw when it came to fate. Unfortunately, that is just how life is sometimes.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feedback would be greatly appreciated. See you next time.


	7. Trust and Loyalty

**Author Notes** : This will probably mark one of the smallest if not the smallest gap in updates for this story. I plan on wrapping this story up, and I'm doing what I can to complete it soon. Hopefully, my efforts will result in quicker updates until we reach the end.

In the previous chapter, Velvet freed Eleanor and Magilou from their 'Earth Pulse' like memory dreams. They know where they need to go, and what they need to do. They don't know what to expect or if it will work, but they know they have to do something. Otherwise this situation will keep repeating until someone else gets caught up as well.

I hope you will enjoy this chapter and please provide feedback.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Seven: Trust and Loyalty

/

We are not the same

We have been through many trials

We have changed a lot

/

It was in the middle of the day, but there were clouds beginning to gather overhead. Despite the increasingly ominous atmosphere above, the former Exorcist, Eleanor Hume, was riding in the woods on the outskirts of Aball on horseback with the self-proclaimed witch, Magilou, sitting behind her. They were slowly making their way back to the ruins they were investigating the day before. However, they had a different strategy in mind for what they were going to do.

As they slowly made their way through the woods, Magilou decided to ask, "Are you sure it was a good idea to bring your horse with us?"

"No, I don't," Eleanor admitted before then justifying, "but I don't know how long this will take, and I'd rather not leave her tied up at Velvet's house forever." Eleanor held onto the reigns with one hand and stroked the horse's hair with the other as she said, "I was worried about her when we left her behind the first time. After last night, I'd be especially worried leaving her alone again."

 _Neigh!_

Eleanor looked down at the horse that apparently was responding to her reasoning. Bienfu then materialized next to Eleanor and told her, "I think your horse appreciates it."

Eleanor asked, "Can you understand her, Bienfu?"

Bienfu shrugged his shoulders, "More or less."

"Hmph …" Eleanor looked back at the horse and stated, "Well I'm glad it makes you feel better."

 _Neigh!_

"I guess we can't argue with the horse." Magilou mused.

"Anyway," Eleanor peaked over her shoulder and said, "I'm kinda surprised you asked to ride behind me, Magilou."

"What did you expect?" Magilou put her hand on her chest as she asked, "Did you want a fair maiden such as I to walk around in the dirt while you ride on the horse like a gallant knight in shining armor?"

"Wow …" Eleanor remarked in a deadpan tone, "You really like painting a picture don't you?"

"It's just how she is." Bienfu replied.

"Are you saying you wouldn't have offered me a ride?" Magilou asked, "Am I that annoying?"

"I'm not saying that, but it doesn't seem very 'Magilou' of you." Eleanor remarked, "You always like to do things outside the norm or try to shame people. You just asked if you could ride with me like a normal person would."

"Indeed." Bienfu began to say, "Miss. Magilou always …" Bienfu was then promptly put in his place by Magilou poking his cheek, "Bieeen!"

Magilou stated in an annoyed tone, "Be quiet!"

"Bieeen!" Bienfu cried out again.

Eleanor sighed as she shook her head in silence. She then looked again and said, "We're almost there. We're going to set up camp, so we might as well get off."

"Okay." Magilou jumped off the horse with Bienfu floating next to her. 

After Eleanor got off the horse, she then began to walk the horse toward a tree before the horse became spooked. It was sudden, and Eleanor was forced to tightly grip the reins with all her strength. Eleanor knew that if she let go the horse would run off into the forest.

"Woah there! Calm down girl!" Eleanor glanced to see they were pretty close to the ruins before she then told the horse, "It's okay girl. The monster in the ruins won't be coming back."

Magilou crossed her arms as she commented, "I don't think that's what has her spooked."

Eleanor looked over her shoulder and realized, "Oh ..."

"Need some help?" Magilou offered.

Eleanor maintained her grip on the reigns as she replied, "I got this." Eleanor faced the horse again and did her best to assure her companion, "Don't worry girl." When the horse appeared to be calming down, Eleanor pet the horse's head while quietly assuring the horse in a calm voice, "We'll take care of the Daemon. Everything is going to be okay. I promise."

After a few moments, the horse calmed down a little, and she was cooperative with Eleanor again. Eleanor was then able to tie the horse to a tree and pull out supplies from one of the pouches the horse was carrying. It included a tent.

"Hmph." Magilou remarked, "So you actually had your own camping supplies?"

As Eleanor laid out the camping supplies she answered, "Traveling as much as I have taught me a couple of things. There aren't always going to be Inns nor homes willing to offer you hospitality. You've got to be ready to spend at least one night on the ground."

"You know." Magilou remarked, "You're not the only one here. Aren't you going to ask for help?"

Eleanor looked up and asked, "You're seriously offering to help?"

"You really think I'd joke about that?" Magilou almost seemed offended as she pointed out, "I can be a freeloader sometimes, but sometimes I might be willing to offer a hand."

"Um sorry …" Eleanor sheepishly asked, "Do you mind helping me?"

"Since you asked nicely, I'll help you this time. I might as well anyway." Magilou's grin returned as she began helping Eleanor set up camp." Magilou then asked, "So can you do that whole rub two sticks together to make a fire technique?"

"Um …" Eleanor felt sheepish as she replied, "Isn't that what artes are for?"

Magilou cheekily grinned as she playfully replied, "You'll be using an arte to create a camp fire? For shame!"

"Like you're one to talk." Eleanor shook her head before looking up to the sky when she heard some birds. Eleanor watched the birds fly away. Her eyes remained locked on them until they were out of sight.

"Yo!" Magilou's voice brought Eleanor out of her train of thought. "Eastgand to Eleanor. Are you still with us?"

Rather than answering Magilou's question, Eleanor asked, "Magilou … Do you think Velvet was right about the birds?"

"Hmm?" Magilou tilted her head in puzzlement.

Eleanor glanced to Magilou and clarified her question, "Remember before the final battle, Velvet gave Artorius her answer to her question about why do birds fly."

Magilou smiled. "Oh, yes. How could I forget?" Magilou did her best to emulate Velvet's voice as she said, "'They fly because they want to'. Ha! The look on Artorius face was priceless."

Eleanor replied, "Velvet's answer did take him by surprise."

"She certainly had that ability." Magilou commented, "Even the Empyreans seemed surprised by how she sealed Innominat and the price she was willing to pay to pull it off. Hell. Even I was impressed."

"Yes …" Eleanor looked down as she lamented, "Yes that's true. She was impressive, but you're not answering my question."

"Hmm …" Magilou seemed to consider what to say before answering, "To be honest, I don't believe that question actually has a right answer. Chances are Artorius used that question as a means to weed people out."

"Weed them …" Eleanor put her hand on her chin as she thought back when Artorius asked her the same question, "Yes that does make sense. He'd want to know who'd come up with an answer similar to his, so he'd know if they'd probably think like him."

Magilou snapped her fingers. "Exactly. He wanted like-minded people in his group, so he'd be able to proceed with his more 'questionable actions' without getting any resistance from other people on his side. Only those like-minded people had any idea of that Innominat Suppression plan or the existence of the Therions."

Eleanor concluded, "Then he weeded me out, too."

Magilou mused, "Probably for the best. I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted to be part of his inner circle, especially after how they ended up."

"Yeah …" Eleanor admitted, "I'd be long dead if it wasn't for Velvet and Laphicet."

"If you really want my opinion," Magilou looked up a she stated, "I think in some ways, Velvet was right. Those birds do seem to be enjoy themselves up there don't you think?"

Eleanor looked up to the sky in time to see a few more birds flying overhead as she remarked, "I do. I really do."

/

As the day waned, Magilou and Eleanor maintained a watch on the ruins to see if there has been any changes. There had not been any over the past few hours, but they weren't expecting much during the day. Instead, they decided to do their best to rest during the daylight hours.

Magilou decided to ask, "By the way Eleanor, I saw how you reacted to seeing Velvet's blood on that stone. Did seeing Velvet's blood stains really traumatize you that much?"

"… Not exactly," Eleanor uneasily replied, "but it was a reminder … A reminder to how this all started. So much happened because of what happened the day Velvet's own family betrayed her."

"…" Magilou didn't say a word.

"She told me what happened." Eleanor scratched the back of her head as she stated, "We saw parts of what happened in those fractured memories, but I never saw physical proof or anything like that … Hearing and knowing that it happened was one thing … seeing that blood just I don't know … I just …" Eleanor put her hands on her chest as she continued, "it just hurt. A lot of things just came rushing to me. I don't really know how I can describe it."

Magilou mused, "That was descriptive enough."

Bienfu showed himself again as he replied, "I'll say. Madam Eleanor, what you're going through is perfectly natural. As someone whose lived this long, I've seen my fair share of humans who reacted like you did."

"…" Magilou remained silent.

Bienfu continued his statement as he solemnly stated, "Sure circumstances differed greatly, but the reactions were similar. Hurt, loss, loneness. Everyone feels the same way."

Eleanor somberly agreed, "Yes …"

Bienfu advised, "So you don't have to keep it bottled up Madman Eleanor. Acting like this doesn't make you any weaker than anyone else."

Magilou crossed her arms as she said, "If it helps I won't make fun of you for it."

Eleanor could only bring herself to say, "Um ... Thanks … I guess …"

Bienfu cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, you should just let me …"

"Bienfu." The sound of Magilou's voice caused Bienfu to pause in midsentence and slowly look behind him. Magilou then gave her own advice, "You had a good moment. Try not to ruin it."

"Bieen … All right." Bienfu retreated much to his dismay.

Magilou stated, "Despite that, Bienfu does make a valid point. However, I can tell that you still have more than a few regrets about how things were with Velvet."

"Not after we became …" Eleanor solemnly stated, "I'll always regret about what happened before … Velvet may have forgiven me, but I still have mixed feelings about that."

"Ah, yes." Magilou stated, "I remember those times you'd keep calling Velvet 'Daemon' among other things. I remember she was actually hurt when you more or less called her 'Darkness Incarnate.'"

"Ugh" Eleanor groaned as she put her hand on her head, "… I still remember that … That was a real low for me …"

Magilou shrugged her shoulders as she commented, "Well you know what they say. When you hit rock bottom, the only place to go is up, and you certainly did go up from then on after the whole Kamoana incident."

"…" Eleanor did not say a word.

"Anyway, despite all of that," Magilou's voice sounded 'sincere' as she told Eleanor, "Velvet never hated you. Not once. Not even when you were an enemy on the Abbey's side."

"I …" Eleanor didn't know what to say in response.

"The fact is," Magilou cheekily pointed out, "Even when you were enemies, she never tried to kill or maim you like the others."

"Um … yeah … I'm honored …" Eleanor awkwardly replied.

"But seriously," Magilou's toned changed as she advised Eleanor, "you don't have a duty to live for someone else."

"Huh?" Eleanor was taken aback.

Magilou continued to sound serious as she repeated herself, "No one has a duty to live for someone else. You don't have a 'duty' to live for Velvet or your mom. You only have a duty to live for yourself. I'm sure Velvet would agree with me. 

"…" Eleanor remained silent.

Magilou tilted her head, "Too much for you?"

Eleanor shot back, "So like you don't have duty to live for Melchior?"

"…" This time Magilou was stunned.

Eleanor eased up as she said, "… I'm sorry. I didn't."

Magilou sighed, "You're right. I don't have a 'duty' to live for Melchior. I'll remember him for who he was and that's it."

"…" Eleanor did not have much to say in response.

Magilou stated, "I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life, but maybe you'd be up for some advice."

Eleanor asked, "More sage advice?"

"I'm willing to 'donate' this much." Magilou then stated, "Velvet wouldn't want you mourning for her forever just like I'm sure your mother wouldn't want you to become a nun to live the rest of your life mourning for her."

"…" Eleanor found herself incapable of refuting.

Magilou motioned to the world around them when she opened her arms up, "This peace … It is temporary, but this is the most peaceful I've seen this world in a long time. Maybe ever. Before we fought Shigure and Melchior, didn't you more or less say you were thinking about the future?"

"How did you …?" Eleanor began to ask.

"Doesn't matter!" Magilou interrupted before continuing with her previous point. "You were talking about wanting to do some good in the future. Well it's time for you to begin revisiting that line of thought. Moping for your loss isn't going to get you answers."

"Come on, Miss. Magilou." Bienfu appeared between the two girls and asked, "Couldn't you have had a little more tact?"

Magilou defended her action with, "It's better to be straight forward than to give a roundabout answer."

Bienfu began to say, "Even so, I think there's a time and a –"

"It's fine Bienfu." Eleanor spoke up to interrupt the exchange. Bienfu turned to see Eleanor was at ease with Magilou's words. 

"Huh?" Magilou and Bienfu were both a little surprised.

Eleanor stated, "I appreciate you sticking up for me Bienfu, but Magilou has a point. I made a promise. I told Velvet that I'd look after Laphicet, and I told Laphicet, I'd spread the word of his existence as the new Empyrion. I've done my best to do both over the past few months … I was never … expecting this to be easy, but when I found out Velvet's birthday was coming soon, I had a hard time figuring out what I should be doing next." Eleanor rubbed her forehead as she said, "My mind went blank. It was like all my thoughts were blown out the window. I went to Aball not just to mourn Velvet, but I was hoping to find some kind of answer, too."

Magilou asked, "Did you find it?"

Eleanor replied, "Maybe … I just need a little more time."

Magilou stated, "Hmph … I suppose that's fair enough, but don't keep me waiting too long. I hate being bored above all else."

Eleanor assured the witch, "Don't worry. You'll know what it is."

"Anyway," Magilou attempted to look away from Eleanor as she said, "I said a bunch of things. You can take things that I say with a grain of salt and quite frankly that would be the intelligent approach. However, this time I promise I'm not spewing any bullshit or anything of that nature. Of course, I'll just leave it up to you to decided whether or not y-"

Eleanor immediately interrupted, "I believe you."

"I assume you probab-" Magilou stopped herself, "Come again?"

Eleanor stated, "I believe you, Magilou. You've been more honest than you've giving yourself credit for."

Magilou reminded Eleanor, "You do recall I didn't say anything about the Dream Aball situation, right?'

Eleanor countered, "You were honest after Velvet asked about whether it was possible to manipulate dreams. You were testing her, right? You wanted to see if she'd figured it out, didn't you?"

"…" Magilou was silent for a moment before replying, "Honestly … You give me far too much credit my dear Exorcist. Although, there's something to that sweet naivety of yours that makes you so enduring."

"Hmph …" Eleanor nodded, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Heh." Magilou grinned, "You probably should because that's the best you'll get out of me."

Bienfu chastised Magilou, "You really shouldn't be so mean to Madam Eleanor, Miss Magilou. She has a lot more virtues than …"

Magilou waved it off. "Yeah, yeah, but you better not be implying what I think you are." Magilou's glare suddenly became piercing.

"Um …" Bienfu could feel himself freeze up before nervously replying, "No … No of course not. You are #1. First and foremost, Miss Magilou. Honestly."

Magilou grinned as she remarked, "He always does think of the right thing to say doesn't he?"

Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone, "Only when you goad him to."

Magilou shrugged, "He just needs some good coaching."

Eleanor dryly stated, "Not denying it I see."

Magilou shamelessly replied, "Why would I?"

Eleanor sighed, "At least you're honest, I guess. Anyway, putting that aside, I think you like to downplay things or make excuses. You could've left at any time, but you choose to stick around, including when you decided to save us when we were trapped in Innominat's trap."

"…" Magilou wasn't able to think of anything to say.

Eleanor wholeheartedly stated, "You know Magilou I don't care what reason you decided to help me. I don't care if it's because I'm entertainment to you or whatever excuse you come up with. It doesn't change the fact that you're here. Thank you for being here."

"Heh." Magilou shrugged it off. "I suppose if you insist, I'll accept the gratitude since that is the type of person you are."

Eleanor stated, "You're always been a weird person to be friends with, but I'm used to it. I'm glad you're here."

Magilou grinned, "A friend, huh? Interesting."

Eleanor asked in a deadpan tone, "Are you going to give me the whole, 'I didn't know you thought of me as a friend', thing?"

Magilou maintained her grin, "Oh no. On the contrary, I'm sure you feel honored to being friends with a magnificent specimen such as myself. Velvet certainly understood that well."

"Yeah. I'm sure she did." Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone, "After you asked her to proclaim you as her, 'best, best friend.'"

Magilou waved off Eleanor's comment, "Oh, details. Details. They're not that big a deal."

"Seriously?" Eleanor dryly asked.

"Anyway," Magilou stood up as she remarked, "We should make sure we're ready for anything. We should take this time to get rested."

As Magilou attempted to separate herself from Eleanor, Bienfu appeared in front of Eleanor and told her, "Don't be fooled, Madam Eleanor. Miss Magilou is really happy you're her friend."

"Heh." Eleanor chuckled, "I'm not fooled in the slightest."

"Oh?" Bienfu grinned as he replied, "I see. I guess she can't trick you with her cheap talk."

"Bienfu." Magilou called out, "Where are you?"

Bienfu suddenly panicked, "Bieeen. Gotta go." He turned around and started 'flying' toward Magilou's direction as he said, "Coming, Miss Magilou." Bienfu could only hope that his Miss Magilou wasn't going to find an excuse to punish him.

/

As the sun set, a shiver crawled down the former Exorcist and the Witch's spines. They looked toward the ruins. When they looked in that direction, they saw something 'out of the ordinary'. What they saw appeared to be a portal opening.

"That explains a few things." Magilou mused, "We could sense it was there because it has been there, but it was using a portal to cloak itself.

Eleanor said out loud, "This Daemon might be Nocturnal.

Magilou considered, "Maybe it can't be out during the day. That could explain why it came out at night?"

"It doesn't matter. It's time to end this." Eleanor stood out in front and looked toward Magilou, "Are you with me?"

Magilou replied, "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. This could be interesting."

Eleanor held her weapon and declared, "All right! Let's do this!"

/

 **Author Notes** : The stakeout proved to be successful a lot faster than either the former Exorcist or Witch expected. What will happened next?

Be sure to tune in next time when Eleanor and Magilou face off against the cause of the dreams.


	8. Daemon of the Dreams

**Author Note** : The story is drawing to a close. The confrontation I have been building to is at hand. It is up to Eleanor and Magilou to deal with the new threat on their own. How will this all turn out?

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Eight: Daemon of the Dreams

/

No escaping the past

The past shall always remain

Dreams are not enough

/

It was another day for the dock worker. It was a day like any other for him. There was a strange fog briefly, but it lifted as soon as it came. However, that all came to an end the moment he heard his friend say something that caught his attention. He stopped what he was doing and turned around to face his friend. He raised an eyebrow as he inquired, "What did you say?"

His friend told him, "I was saying how Niko is a really great cook. It's incredible she hasn't married anyone yet."

"What …?" The dock worker was completely dumbfounded. He took a step back, and it nearly caused him to drop his supplies. He felt as if he would lose his balance before asking, "What do you mean 'is'? She died three years ago!"

"Huh?" This time his friend was the one taken aback when he asked, "What are 'you' talking about? I just saw her in Aball."

"Aball? Are you kidding me?" The dock worker exclaimed, "That place has been a ghost town for years!"

"Wha …" His friend appeared to be equally dumbfounded as he asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The red moon massacre!" The dock worker reminded his friend, "Niko along with everyone else was killed that day!"

"Everything was fine the last time I checked." His friend replied.

"You're screwing with me." The dock worker put down his supplies and walked passed his friend, "There's no way that's right."

"Where are you going?" His friend called out to him as he passed by.

"I'm going to find out what the hell is going on." The dock worker departed from Taliesin shortly afterwards. When he arrived in Aball, he was greeted by a sight he could never expected.

The man was greeted by villagers he was certain were long dead. They all acted like the 'Red Moon' never happened and how 'Arthur' or rather Artorius had managed to save them all. The sight frightened him. These people were not supposed to be here, but here they were just as he remembered them. He was so scared that the only option he saw was to run away much to the 'apparent bewilderment' of the villagers who called out to him.

Eventually, the dock worker found himself, at the ruins of the cliff. He didn't know why he ended up there, but a 'feeling' brought him there. His hunch was quickly proven true. He saw an old man standing next to a pair of familiar but unfamiliar dogs. However, he paid no mind to the man's pets when he saw the man's unusual hat. As soon as he saw it, the dock worker knew this had to be the man.

"Hey you!" The Dock worker called out to the old man who apparently heard him as he shouted, "You're Melchior, right?"

"Hmm?" Melchior raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Have we met?

"Yes! We met ten years ago when you arrived in Eastgand." The dock worker then reminded the old man, "You asked me for directions to Aball."

"Hmm …" Melchior took a moment before it all clicked. "Oh yes. I remember now. You were that helpful but nervous dock worker.

"Edward! My name is Edward, and I want some answers!" Edward then demanded, "Are you the reason those people in Aball are alive right now?" Edward pointed to the ground as he stated, "I saw their corpses lying right here three years ago. How could they be dead then and alive now?"

Melchior stroked his beard as he remarked, "Interesting. Very interesting. You remembered that they were actually dead. You remember it even after seeing this 'dream'."

"Wha …" Edward was completely dumbfounded as he asked, "What dream?" Before Melchior could answer, Edward then stated, "Forget it! I'm not here for this bullshit! You're the one who caused all of this, didn't you!? You caused that bandit attack that killed Celica, didn't you!?"

"Celica?" Melchior tilted his head as he replied, "That name does ring a bell."

"She was the married to Arthur!" Edward pointed at Melchior as he loudly reminded the old man, "He's the same guy who calls himself Artorius! You know him!"

"Ah!" It appeared to click with Melchior as he replied, "You must mean 'Seres' original human form. She was married to him." 

"Human form?" Edward then firmly stated, "I don't know what the hell you're rambling about, but you're not going to pull any magic tricks on me! I'm here to get answers, and you're gonna give them to me!"

"Hmph." Melchior held out his hand as he said, "Maybe not 'these' ones, but I suppose in this case a few different tricks will be necessary." As soon as he finished speaking, an aura began to generate from him.

"Wha …" Edward backed away, "What the hell?! What the hell are you?!" His eyes widened, and he had no way of preparing for what was to come next.

/

The sun was setting on Eastgand. The clouds were gathering overhead, and they nearly covered the sky. However, the wind was beginning to pick up which caused both Eleanor and Magilou's long hair to flap in the breeze.

As the duo left the forest and walked into the clearing near Innominat's ruins, they came face-to-face with a Daemon kneeling in a clearing by the Innominat ruins. This was the Daemon the former Exorcist and Witch had been attempting to track. There was no doubt in their minds that this was the very Daemon who had been affecting their dreams.

Eleanor held up her spear as she declared, "This is it."

Magilou concurred, "Yeah. This Daemon has to be the source." She pointed at the Daemon as she made her own declaration, "I will make sure he pays the price for ruining my beauty rest."

The Daemon's ears perked at the sound of Eleanor and Magilou's footsteps which caused him to look in their direction. When Eleanor and Magilou walked out into the open, the Daemon stood tall. This Daemon's body was larger than a normal human, and it easily towered over both Eleanor and Magilou. Despite that, neither of them were going to back down. They also saw that unlike some other Daemons this had a humanoid body similar to Aifread.

Besides the shape of its body, there was something else that caught their attention when they saw the full view of this Daemon. It had dark, purplish skin, and its skin was covered by white lines that moved across his body like a tattoo. However, these 'tattoos' were glowing, and the lines converged on what appeared to be a jewel on his forehead.

The Daemon did not make any move towards them. He was standing perfectly still. Likewise, the Witch and the Former Exorcist stood their ground. Both parties appeared interested in learning what the other's next move would be.

The Daemon appeared to raise his hand before his head started jerking in different directions. Its head twisted and turned much to the surprise of the companions. It then grabbed its head with both hands as it cried.

"What the …?" Eleanor was absolutely dumbfounded by what was happening.

"Watch out!" Magilou shouted.

As soon as Magilou shouted her warning, the Daemon charged at them, he raised his fist up and launched it in Eleanor's direction. The Daemon's limb stretched further than either girl expected. His fist struck where Eleanor was standing. Luckily, the former Exorcist managed to dodge at the right moment. Eleanor saw his fist was buried underground before the Daemon withdrew it.

"Heh." Magilou chuckled as she remarked, "Looks like that thing can punch."

Eleanor was quick to observe, "But it's not launching another attack. Why?"

"It will." Magilou warned.

"But why not right away?" Eleanor remained in her battle stance as she explained herself, "Isn't it normal for it to have a follow-up attack after the first one."

Magilou tilted her head, "Hmm?"

"Rgh!" The Daemon clenched his head again before launching another attack at Magilou and Eleanor that they easily dodged.

"The Daemon's in pain." Eleanor theorized, "It must be whatever is on his forehead." As they continued to move, Eleanor asked, "Magilou can we capture it?"

"Huh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow as she asked, "You want to capture it?"

"Yes." Eleanor reiterated, "Can we do that?"

Magilou looked at the Daemon standing before them. It took her a moment before telling the former Exorcist, "If I know what its weakness is, I might be able to figure something out." 

"Leave that to me." Eleanor spun her spear around and pointed at the Daemon as she declared, "I have two ideas that might work."

"If you insist," Magilou backed away to let Eleanor face the Daemon. Eleanor began utilizing her artes.

When the Daemon launched another attack, Eleanor began conjuring an arte. It was a fire type arte that she launched at the Daemon before it got too close. Eleanor saw the fire caused a singe mark on the Daemon, but it didn't appear to harm it that much.

"Not it." Eleanor said to herself as she jumped to dodge another attack. She then began to run around the Daemon to see what it would do.

As Eleanor attempted to run around the Daemon, she noticed the Daemon did not bother trying to follow her with his eyes except for when she was right in front of him. It was then that the Daemon's head began moving in different directions again, and it leaped in her direction.

When the monster landed, it punched a hole in the ground which caused its fist to be buried. Eleanor had stopped her movement and jumped back at the right time. If she had continued moving, she would have been crushed by that monster.

Eleanor jumped back again and quickly began her incantation. This time it was for a light arte, and it did not require much time to activate. By the time the Daemon pulled its hand out of the ground and looked in her direction, Eleanor called out, "Photon!"

When the light energy hit the Daemon, it cried out and moved back. That was the answer they needed. 

Eleanor called out as she ran in Magilou's direction, "It was affected by Photon! Light is its weakness!"

Magilou grinned as she remarked, "Figured as much."

Eleanor was standing near Magilou when she asked, "You got an idea?"

Magilou nodded, "Yeah, but I'll need to touch that jewel. I'll need you to give me a little 'preparation' time. When I give the signal, I'll need you to give him a good whack with that spear of yours, so I can have an opportunity."

Eleanor quickly asked, "What's the signal?"

Magilou responded, "When I yell, 'Now'!"

"Works for me!" Eleanor dug her heels into the ground as she declared, "Leave it to me!" She then rushed toward the Daemon, and his eyes were solely focused on Eleanor.

/

The battle was not difficult for Eleanor. Thanks to all the training and battles she endured, her stamina was high. However, she knew that if they were going to capture this Daemon, it would need to be soon. She hoped that she would hear the signal soon before things started to go south.

As Eleanor continued to dodge the Daemon, she heard Magilou's voice, "Now!"

When Eleanor heard the signal, she cried out, "Heyah!"

Eleanor jumped and swung her spear at the Daemon with as much force as she could muster. She hit it with the side of her spear to reduce the damage to the Daemon, but it threatened to snap her spear in two. Luckily, the attack was enough to stun the Daemon. That was Magilou's moment to make her move. She quickly closed the gap.

The Daemon was too stunned to notice the Witch was approaching him. Before the Daemon realized Magilou was in front of him, she placed her hand on the jewel attached to his forehead. When her hands touched the jewel, the 'line tattoos' that spread across the body began to glow which caused the Daemon to cry out in pain. The cry of the Daemon sounded like a wolf howling at the moon. If there has been anyone living in Aball, they would have heard it.

It kept crying out until its head dropped and body went limp. The Daemon then fell on its stomach. The Daemon was out cold while the 'line tattoos' remained glowing. He appeared to be breathing heavily as it lied on the ground.

Eleanor walked toward the Daemon step-by-step until Magilou told her, "You don't have to worry. He's down."

Despite Magilou's reassurance, Eleanor appeared horrified as she looked down at the Daemon. The first thing she said about it was, "Those tattoos … Are they …?"

"Yes." Magilou interrupted as she enlighten Eleanor, "Those tattoos were meant to be this Daemon's chains. It would be easier to call them 'Restraint Tattoos'."

Eleanor knelt down next to the Daemon as she inquired, "Is that jewel the source of those 'Restraint Tattoos'?"

"Very observant my dear Exorcist." Magilou sounded impressed as she stated, "It isn't unusual for Daemons to have markings on their bodies. However, what stood out about this one was how all the markings converged at the forehead." Magilou pointed to her own forehead, "Where that jewel was conveniently located. All I had to do was amplify it." Magilou then looked at the defeated Daemon as she concluded, "If I had to guess, these 'Restraint Tattoos' were probably being used as a method to tame this Daemon."

Eleanor bitterly said, "… Just like Aifread. 

Magilou nodded, "Indeed. There's no doubt in my mind Melchior was responsible for this."

"Then could something about what Melchior did to him affect his behavior?" Eleanor inquired, "Do you think it could have something to do with why this Daemon only came out after sunset?"

"Hmm …" Magilou looked at the restrained Daemon before speculating, "Light is this Daemon's weakness, so this is just an educated guess, but I think sunlight probably affects his tattoos." 

"If that's the case," Eleanor pointed out, "wouldn't it be better if it only revealed itself to us when it was darker. It maybe cloudy, but there was still sun shining through."

"It is possible that this Daemon reached his limit." Magilou remarked.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow, "Limit?"

Magilou clarified, "Like how you and I have only so much endurance to utilize our artes before needing to rest or recharge. This Daemon probably used all his energy to seal himself away from the sun. It returned here because he used up all his energy, and he could only use physical attacks."

"Then …" A feeling of dread came to Eleanor as she asked, "… we fought him when he was just starting to recuperate?'

"Yes." Magilou concluded, "That's why he was much weaker than he should be. Despite that it might be better not to take chances." Magilou activated her arte again to restrain the Daemon's arms behind his back. "But still … That fight felt a little anticlimactic. I kinda feel disappointed."

Eleanor asked in disbelief, "Did you expect him to be stronger than Artorius and Innominat?"

Magilou shook her head, "Not really. But I wasn't expecting a letdown either."

"That's not ... Wait!" Eleanor pointed out, "That's not what we should be getting out of this. He didn't want to fight. He was struggling. That's why he didn't try attacking us right away, right? He only seemed to attack us when that jewel hurt his head."

"You noticed that as well." Magilou remarked.

"This seems way too similar to what happened with Aifread." Eleanor asked, "Could he be another human that was forced to become a Daemon? He couldn't have done this willingly, right?"

"He could've been tricked like Kamoana was." Magilou bluntly stated, "Either way, I wouldn't put anything passed Melchior or the Abbey."

"Me neither … If only we …" Eleanor then looked toward the massive hole in the ruins.

"So?" Magilou asked, "What exactly are we going to do with this Daemon? I take it that you might not want to kill it, but finishing it off would be easy. We wouldn't have to worry about him attacking us or anyone else again if we did."

Eleanor shook her head, "No." Eleanor turned her spear upside down and planted it into the ground."

"Hmm …" Magilou raised eyebrow as she remarked, "Such resolve. How interesting. Do you have an idea?"

"Maybe …" Eleanor looked at Magilou as she told the Witch, "I know that not all Daemons are monsters. They aren't all evil. I can … I can feel something different about this Daemon. I don't think 'he' wants to hurt anyone. He feels … I don't know how to describe it."

Magilou egged Eleanor to continue, "Go on."

Eleanor attempted to formulate a response, "This Daemon has clearly been here for a while, but when I was in town, I didn't hear anything about a Daemon terrorizing or killing people. We've been here for a few days, and he didn't attack us either. He may have affected our dreams, but he didn't attack our bodies. It's possible that what he did to us was unintentional. He never actually tried to attack us until we confronted him directly. Even then, I didn't feel any true hostility from him."

Magilou clapped her hands together, "You're correct. He is different from the other Daemons. He has done a better job retaining his sense of self. I would say we definitely have another Aifread situation on our hands."

"Aifread …" Eleanor repeated that name with widened eyes. She glanced down to the Daemon before looking back at Magilou and exclaimed, "So if we're right, Melichor might've been trying to make more than one of them."

"Well … Aifread was special even before Innominat was awakened." Magilou remarked, "I guess it all depended on whether or not that 'special' person was more useful to him as a Daemon puppet or as a human puppet."

Eleanor put her hand on her chin as she pondered, "In that case, do you think that might be why this Daemon affected our dreams?"

"Possibly." Magilou then stated, "To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if he got those powers by accident."

"Accident?" Eleanor asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah …" Magilou reminded Eleanor, "I'm sure you remember how Melchior's abilities allowed him to manipulate Velvet's dreams and created that 'Dream Aball'."

Eleanor nodded, "Of course. We were talking about it earlier."

Magilou stated, "Chances are Melchior was using that magic when he was torturing this poor bastard. It's possible that magic affect affected the type abilities this Daemon ended up developing."

"Well …" Eleanor looked to the hole again as she said, "There might be a way for us to find out."

"Are you suggesting …" Magilou began to look in the same direction Eleanor was.

"The Earth Pulse." Eleanor finished the sentence. "There is a connection to the Earth Pulse … I remember there's one down there." Eleanor looked at Magilou's direction as she asked, "Magilou, can you float us down there? If we bring him down with us, can the Earth Pulse give us answers?"

"I can't exactly claim to an expert on how Earth Pulses work." Magilou reminded Eleanor, "The first time you experienced the Earth Pulse, I wasn't there. Besides, didn't the Earth Pulse show you memories of Velvet's family because Innominat manipulated it?"

"Well that maybe true …" Eleanor then pointed out, "He did it the first time, but you were with us when we went down this Earth Pulse. It still showed us a memory of Velvet's family even without Innominat doing anything."

"True, true." Magilou conceded before then stating, "Regardless, the Earth Pulses aren't exactly easy to figure out. I doubt even for all his posturing, Melchior knew everything about them."

Eleanor remarked, "He knew enough."

"That he did." Magilou nodded.

"We need to do this, Magilou." Eleanor stated, "We need answers."

"Hmm …" Magilou looked at the massive hole before turning back to Eleanor, "I get what you're going for, Eleanor." The Witch then warned, "While those things can show you the past, it might not necessarily be what you want. We can't control what we see?"

"Yes, but … I think it we saw memories of Velvet's family down there last time because she was with us." Eleanor rationalized, "Maybe if we bring him along, we could get answers about him. We have to try. I have to try."

"…" Magilou sighed, "Very well. I'll use my magic to bring us down there, but I'm only doing this once."

Eleanor agreed, "Fine by me. Once is all I need."

/

It did not take much effort on Magilou's part for them to be brought down to the Earth Pulse. As soon as they arrived, they saw balls of light form in front of them as Eleanor had hoped. It didn't take long for several significant memories to play out in front of them. In a manner of minutes, they had experienced enough memories to last a lifetime. After seeing the memory of the man's final confrontation with Melchior, Eleanor told Magilou that was enough, and Magilou was able to use her magic to help them get out of the Earth Pulse.

Neither said a word as Magilou's magic lifted them out of the hole. It was only after Eleanor's feet touched the grassy surface did Eleanor say, "Wow … wow …"

"…" Magilou had nothing to say on the manner.

"I …" Eleanor put her hand on her forehead as she said to herself, "I see … So that's what happened …" Eleanor looked at the restrained Daemon as she said the name, "Edward."

For a brief moment, the Daemon's ears perked, but it did not make any other movement.

Eleanor softly said, "He was someone that knew Velvet's family … He knew Velvet when she was a little kid … This man was just another victim of Melchior's efforts."

"I suspected as much." Those were the only words that Magilou spoke.

"Bienn …" Bienfu appeared, but he didn't offer any other words beyond his sorrowful voice.

Eleanor asked, "How could someone like Melchior have no Malevolence. Even Artorius had Malevolence."

Magilou reminded Eleanor, "That's because Melchior kept believing everything he did was for the greater good regardless of how twisted he got. Once he threw what most humans call 'morality' out the window, it was free game for him."

"…" Eleanor couldn't say a word in response to that.

"Anyway …" Magilou looked at the restrained Daemon as she said, "Unlike Aifread, Melchior probably didn't live long enough to finish his masterwork on this guy. He had a hard enough time controlling Aifread as it was."

"Do you think he was left here?" Eleanor asked.

"You saw that he confronted Melchior personally after he set up that whole 'dream barrier' that Velvet and us got caught up in." Magilou surmised, "We probably arrived in Aball not long after what we saw. Titania was attacked only a few weeks after that, and I'm sure Aifread was Melchior's top priority. However, it might be possible he was able to escape from wherever Melchior was keeping him and came back here."

Eleanor crossed her arms and looked at the Daemon as she said, "I could see that. Melchior did strike me as the kind of person that was great at planning, but he would always overlook a detail or two."

Magilou concurred, "He did have a tendency to underestimate his opponents." Magilou shrugged, "His confidence in his power was justified, but if one detail was out of place, things could easily fall apart. He was always so sure his first plans would work that he didn't always consider having a backup."

Eleanor inquired, "Like that flower you created to distract him?"

"You could say that." Magilou's tone sounded mocking as she stated, "For someone who preached for 'reason' and suppressing emotions, he let his emotions control him when it came to flowers."

"…" Bienfu remained silent as he listed to his Master's words.

Eleanor couldn't help but ask, "He can't come back, right?"

"No." Magilou explained in a matter-of-fact tone, "Unlike Velvet's sister, Melchior can't come back as a Malak. Since Velvet sacrificed his soul to awaken the four Empyreans, it should prevent him from coming back."

"Good …" Eleanor looked at the Daemon as she said, "I wouldn't want more victims like him. He was … It was just another day for him before he hat to meet Melchior. Just to become another victim of his … A victim of the Abbey … All for the 'greater good' …"

"…" Magilou offered no words.

"Edward …" Eleanor attempted to speak to the Daemon, "I don't know if you can hear me, but I want you to know … I'm sorry for what the Abbey did to you … I'm sorry for whatever role I might've played in it."

"But Madam …" Bienfu attempted to speak up only for Magilou to raise her hand to stop him. He then remained perfectly still even after Magilou put her hand down.

"After Velvet beat me, I still maintained the idea that the Abbey would never do such horrible things against the people. That we were only there to help …" Eleanor looked at the poor Daemon as she stated, "For every time I thought that, something like this was happening. I know I changed after I saw what they did to Kamoana and her mother … Before we fought the Legates, Velvet casually tried to say how she was the cause of all the problems. I told Velvet that the Abbey caused just as much harm to the world as she did …"

"…" Magilou remained silent as Eleanor spoke.

Eleanor sat on the ground as she sorrowfully admitted, "Maybe I was wrong about that … We might've caused the greatest problems of all … We forced everyone to submit to the Abbey's rule, or they would not receive our protection. Even back then, I hated that, but I wasn't willing to see the truth."

"…" Everyone was silent as they let Eleanor continue speaking.

"It doesn't matter how much time passes, I'm always going to remember how naïve I used to be." Eleanor shook her head as she recalled, "Going around from town to town to protect people from Daemons. Thinking I was making a difference when all I was doing was helping the Abbey's agenda to suppress the world. I may've worked under Artorius, but I guess I was just a pawn of Melchior as well."

Magilou replied, "You wouldn't be wrong to believe that. Everyone was his pawn. Even Artorius."

"Ugh …" Eleanor couldn't help but groan in response, "How could I have been so wrong? So naïve? I told Velvet how the Abbey was 'just' and how Artorius wasn't capable of the things she claimed he did. I got to see for myself how wrong I was. Even as I kept seeing more and more cracks in the image I had, I kept calling Velvet 'Daemon', and I outright told her that I thought she was evil incarnate."

Magilou pointed out, "Well to be fair, Velvet was a Daemon, and I think a lot of people would get the impression she was evil at first."

Eleanor rubbed her hand on her forehead again as she said, "You know what I mean … I just kept turning a blind eye to what the Abbey was until I saw what they did to Kamoana. Just like Velvet, she was turned into a Damen. None of this would've happened if Velvet wasn't betrayed in the first place."

Magilou stated, "Betrayal … It is something that really digs deep."

"I know it does … That betrayal has so much tragedy and death … but …" Eleanor looked at the Daemon again as she declared, "I'm not going to let you end up the same as the others." Eleanor slowly picked herself up from the ground as she declared, "We can do something this time."

"Eleanor …" Magilou began to ask, "Do you mean …?"

"Yes." Eleanor look at Magilou in the eyes as she told him, "I'm going to bring him to Laphicet. Let's see if he can do anything about him."

Magilou asked, "Do you really think Laphicet can help him? His flame didn't turn Rokurou back to a normal human."

"I know there are limits, but Laphicet's' power worked on Aifread before he died, and Laphicet didn't have control over his flames, yet." Eleanor looked at Edward's Daemon form again as she stated, "Things are different for him, too. It took us a while to find him. Even you and Bienfu had a hard time sensing him. Since he was cut off from the rest of the world, it's possible the flames never touched him."

"Mmm …" Magilou conceded, "You might be right. If they never touched him, he really might have a chance this time."

Eleanor declared, "A chance is all I need."

Magilou playfully stated, "That's our Exorcist for you. 

"Former Exorcist." Eleanor insisted before asking, "So what now, Magilou? You can go if you want. We got the Daemon so the best part is probably over."

"Nah." Magilou waved off the suggestion, "I think I'll stick around a little longer. I stuck around this long. Might as well see it through. It'd probably be more boring going somewhere else. At least I have an idea of what to expect. It might give me some good material."

"Don't be like that Miss. Magilou. Can't you just admit you miss the Mana- Geh!" Magilou cutoff Bienfu by poking his cheek again.

Magilou stated, "No one asked you to put words in my mouth."

"Bieeen!" That was all Bienfu could say in response as tears rolled from his eyes.

"That doesn't matter." Eleanor stated, "Either way, you're both welcomed to come along." Magilou stopped poking Bienfu as Eleanor addressed them, "We should get moving. The last thing we need is for him to wake up anytime soon."

"Fine. Fine." Magilou decided to help Eleanor. "But we're gonna need some help getting him to Laphicet."

"Don't worry." Eleanor smiled as she told the witch, "I already have an idea."

/

 **Author Notes** : I hope you enjoyed the battle with Eleanor and Magilou against the Edward Daemon. While this battle might have seen anti-climatic, these are two characters who became rather strong on their previous journey, and they defeated something that was close to a deity. I'd say it would be difficult to top that. Additionally, I remember Aifread not being that difficult to defeat.

When it comes to the bad guys, personally I feel like Melchior was closer to being the true 'Big Bad' of the game than Artorius. While Melchior wasn't the last boss of the game, he was toward the end, and it felt like he was the main reason why everything ultimately happened. It kinda felt like we dealt with the 'Big Bad' after we defeated him. Then it felt like we were going to clean up what was left behind by defeating Artorius and Innominat who had been forced off the planet after Melchior's defeat because we used his life force along with three others to awaken the Empyreans.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Melchior was the true 'Main Antagonist' of the game? Do you think he caused Aball to betray Velvet's family, so he could get control of Arthur/Artorius?

I personally feel that theory is true, and I enjoyed considering that possibility in this story. This story has been fun to write, and it will be a shame to wrap it up, but there are only two chapters left after this. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter, and I hope you will provide a review. Until next time.


	9. Lingering Scars

**Author Notes** : It is time for the penultimate chapter of "Sorrowful Peace". For those of you who read this chapter, it will further cement the fact that both "Spoken & Unspoken Words" and this story take place in the same continuity. For those of you who haven't read that story, I would recommend you read it as well.

I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter and provide feedback. It is always appreciated.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Nine: Lingering Scars

/

Scars are from the past

Scars can heal, but they remain

We must move forward

/

After using a Slyphjay to contact the Aifread Pirates, they did not hesitate to come to Eleanor's aid. With their help, Eleanor was able to smuggle the Daemon, Edward, out of Eastgand. They also were working on arrangements to smuggle the Daemon to Laphicet's Altar once they reached Port Zekson. In the meantime, all Eleanor could do was await anxiously on the ship until they arrived. Eleanor did her best to keep herself occupied.

Eleanor was sitting in the same room they would keep the Daemon version of Edward. She was sitting on a chair and leaned on a table as she watched the Daemon lay on the bed they had provided for him. There wasn't much for Eleanor to do other than to keep watch over him until she heard a knock on the door.

As soon as Eleanor heard it, she turned around and said, "Come in."

Eizen walked through the door as he asked, "Are you okay, Eleanor? You've been in here since we left Eastgand."

"I'm fine. Thank you." Eleanor graciously stated, "Thank you for doing this, Eizen."

Eizen shrugged, "I can't really take the credit. Benwick is the one in charge of this ship now, but I would've made the same decision. You only would've sent that message if it was really important."

"Yes …" Eleanor realized what he meant by that.

Eizen then said, "You told me that you were going to explain the situation to me thoroughly after we smuggled him. Now that we're at sea, I think now is as good a time as any."

"Okay," Eleanor warned, "but I doubt you'll like the full story."

"I hardly ever do." Eizen grimace.

"Maybe you two should get some fresh air as you regal him about our 'Tale'. It really is quite a story." Magilou entered the room as she remarked.

"Well you've got some timing." Eizen remarked.

"That I do." Magilou grinning as she snapped her fingers and held up her pointer finger, "You two don't have to worry your pretty little heads, especially you my Dear Exorcist. I'll keep an eye on our honors guest."

Eleanor almost sounded surprised as she asked, "You will?"

Eizen skeptically asked, "Are you serious?"

"But of course." Magilou put her hand on her chest as she boasted, "It's my magic that's keeping this Daemon in his place. If he were to escape now, it would destroy the marvelous reputation that I 'The Great Mayven' has built."

"…" Eleanor and Eizen looked at each other before then looking back at Magilou.

"Okay …" Eleanor reluctantly accepted Magilou's offer, "Thanks a lot."

Eizen and Eleanor excused themselves and left Magilou alone with the Daemon. Eizen had his hands in in his pockets as he remarked, "The word 'humble' definitely doesn't exist in her dictionary."

Eleanor stated in a deadpan tone, "I think that's the closest we'll get to seeing Magilou be humble."

"Heh." Even Eizen couldn't help but crack a grin at that remark, "You're probably right."

The two former traveling companions choose to speak outside by the bow. The brisk sea air and the feeling of the wind blowing through Eleanor's hair helped her feel at ease. To Eizen it felt like business as usual.

Eleanor explained the situation in thorough detail regarding what she and Magilou had discovered. Eizen listened to her story with his arms crossed. He waited until she was finished speaking before remarking as he leaned on the ship's railing, "I see … So that poor bastard was another toy for Melchior's games. Just like Aifread was …" 

"Yes … I don't know much." Eleanor stated, "Just what the Earth Pulse showed me. All I can say was that he was kidnapped by Melchior when he confronted him."

Eizen inquired, "Why would he do that?"

Eleanor stated, "Melchior was indirectly responsible for killing someone he loved. Velvet's sister. He didn't have proof, but he figured it out."

"Damn it …" Eizen lightly hit the ship's railing with this fist which caused Eleanor to be surprised. "Damn … Even after he's dead, he's still giving us trouble."

"I … I know." Eleanor stated, "I can only hope that this is the last problem of his we'll need to deal with."

Eizen didn't feel optimistic, "That would be wishful thinking. Wasn't that asshole alive for centuries? He left a lot of damage in his wake. He could have done plenty we don't know about."

"Yes …" Eleanor reluctantly agreed, "There's no telling what other damage he did. He may've been trying to create some kind of ideal world, but he didn't think causing harm to others was a big deal as long as he got what he wanted."

Eizen muttered, "What else could he have done?"

Eleanor took a breath before declaring, "We can worry about that another time. What's important is that he can't do that anymore, and that is one less mess he left behind. We can start trying to move past what he and his followers did."

"That's a fair point …" Eizen then stated, "I suppose whether this was the last or not isn't important. You're right that we should be glad that this is one less problem."

Eleanor merely said, "Yes …"

"After this is over," Eizen promised, "I will keep my ears open for any other leads to what Melchior might've done."

"I'll do what I can too. I made promises that I will spend the rest of my life trying to fulfill. I don't mind making another." Eleanor held up her hand and said, "If you ever need help with dealing with anything, don't hesitate to contact me. All you need to do is send a Sylphjay, and I'll head straight for you."

"I've seen you eager before." Eizen questioned, "But are you that eager to jump into this fire?"

"Of course." Eleanor then asked, "We're friends now, aren't we? Right?"

"Friends, huh?" Eizen chuckled in amusement as he crossed his arms, "I guess we are. There are worse people I could be friends with."

"Heh." Eleanor shook her head as she replied in a playful manner, "I'll take that as a compliment." Her tone became more serious as she then said, "Anyway, I mean it. I will do everything I can to find out if Melchior left any other messes behind. If I find any, I will take care of them. If I need help, I'll be sure to let you know next time."

"Don't hesitate to ask for help." Eizen warned her, "You have a tendency of overburdening yourself."

Eleanor remarked, "Magilou sort of said the same thing."

"Then you know it's serious if the 'Witch' is telling you that." Eizen replied in a deadpan tone.

"Heh. Hold on!" Eleanor then remembered, "That reminds me. Aren't you worried about turning into a dragon? Couldn't something like this do something that?"

"Of course I'm worried about it." Eizen pointed down below the deck as he declared, "But it's not gonna happen today, and that down there isn't gonna to do it. So let me do the worrying. I know what my body can take. Trust me."

"Okay …" Eleanor felt uneasy and not entirely convinced.

Eizen then asked, "Anyway, I'm fine with you wanting to save another human's life, but are you sure he's secure down there?"

"Well Magilou is keeping a watch on him, and she told me his 'restraints' should keep him docile as long as no one tries waking him up." Eleanor stated.

"Hmph. If you say so." Eizen looked toward the others on the ship before remarking, "Good thing Benwick and the others have enough common sense."

"Speaking of them," Eleanor rhetorically asked, "they really can't see you can they?"

Eizen shook his head, "No. After Velvet sealed Innominat, that finished the job. Benwick and the others lost what little resonate they had left, and I'm basically a ghost to them."

Eleanor had no words to say other than, "Eizen …"

"Sometimes they will gaze in my direction." Eizen sounded sorrowful as he then said, "I'm sure they may faintly sense me, but it's not like how Aifread was able to."

"Oh …" Eleanor softly asked, "How do you feel about that? Is it lonely?"

"Hmm …" Eizen closed his eyes before reopening and answering Eleanor's question, "It's a return to normalcy for us Mal … Seraphim. With exceptions, we were never visible to humanity before what Artorius and Melchior did. Now we've returned to how things were."

Eleanor bluntly stated, "That's not really answering my question."

"Like I said, it wasn't something that I hadn't experienced before, but after spending years speaking to them, it feels …" Eizen felt himself pause before saying, "rather jarring not being able to do something that simple anymore."

"I understand …" Eleanor looked up to the sky as she remarked, "I understand that."

"Hmm …" Eizen looked up to the sky as well.

Eleanor looked down and said, "If you want, you could tell me something you'd like to say to your crew. Anything at all. I will tell them."

"…" Eizen was briefly silent before then telling Eleanor, "I'll considerate it. Thank you."

Eleanor then replied, "Don't forget. We're friends. Friends help each other out."

"…" Eizen was silent again much to Eleanor's dismay.

Eleanor sounded rather down as she said, "Please don't tell me you didn't think I was a friend."

"It's not that." Eizen sounded rather sincere as he then said, "Personally, I'm just surprised at myself. I never would've thought I'd become friends with an Exorcist."

Eleanor remarked, "You're not the only one surprised at themselves."

Eizen crossed his arms again as he said, "I suppose not."

"Anyway, just let me know if you think of anything." Eleanor said as she turned to leave, "I'll be more than happy to do it."

Eizen reiterated, "I will keep that in mind."

/

As Eleanor conversed with Eizen, Benwick the de-facto leader of the Aifread pirates could only see Eleanor seemingly talk to the air. However, Benwick knew that wasn't the case. After watching for a while, he decided to head below deck.

When he was went down below, he found himself outside the door where the Daemon was being held. When he knocked on the door he heard, Magilou on the other side way, "Come on in."

Benwick saw Magilou set up at a table, and she was writing in a booklet. He also saw the 'Daemon' in question. Through his eyes, the Daemon more or less appeared as a normal human.

Magilou turned to see the ordinary human and commented, "Didn't expect to see you here, Benwick.

Benwick stated, "I was just curious about what exactly this Daemon is while Lady Eleanor talks to the first mate."

Magilou raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"That's what was going on, right?" Benwick asked, "She was talking to the first mate … To Eizen, right?"

"Yep." Magilou slyly confirmed, "They're having lively conversation."

Bewick sighed, "Man … I wish I could still see him. He may be tagging along and watching out for us, but I miss him."

"Hmm …" Magilou looked over to see Benwick's disappointed look, _"I guess Eleanor was right. A little at least."_

Benwick asked, "Can you tell me what they were talking about?"

"I could but will I?" Magilou shook her head. "I don't think so." Before Benwick could say anything, Magilou then said, "Just kidding. A little. I wouldn't give you the specifics but they're talking about all the trouble Melchior caused with this guy right here." Magilou motioned to the Daemon on the bed, "If you want to know more, you'll have to ask Eleanor. I'm sure she wouldn't mind telling you. I'm sure she wouldn't mind acting as your go between with Eizen."

"Melchior …" Benwick gritted his teeth at the mention of the name. 

"I'd watch it if I were you." Magilou held up her hand as she warned Benwick, "You wouldn't want to turn into a Daemon yourself. Or Eizen for that matter." The Witch's tone was serious as she looked in his direction.

"…" Benwick remained silent as he did his best to hold himself back.

Magilou: stated in a matter of fact tone, "Melchior's dead, and he won't be causing anymore trouble. Eizen helped avenge your Captain. I suggest you try living with that."

Benwick reluctantly looked down as he said, "I … I'll try."

Magilou bluntly stated, "Believe me. You will need to. You don't want to let someone drag you down for the rest of your life."

Benwick asked, "Are you …?"

Magilou cutoff Benwick with, "That's enough life advice for one day. You can talk to Eleanor if you want." Magilou then returned to writing in her booklet.

"Wha … Fine." Benwick then turned his attention to the Daemon on the bed as he then asked, "This is … supposed to be the Daemon, right?"

Magilou continued writing in her booklet as she said, "In the flesh."

"This …" Benwick stated, "… doesn't exactly look like the Daemons I remember seeing before. He looks a little wild, but he doesn't seem that dangerous."

Magilou warned, "I wouldn't get too close to him. He only looks like a normal human to you because you now lack the ability to see what he really looks like now."

"…" Benwick remained silent as he backed away.

"That's smart." Magilou then told Benwick, "Depending on the circumstances, you might not be able to see a Daemon at all, but when a human becomes a Daemon, who is unable to control him/herself they'll seem like a crazy person to you or something."

"Hmm …" Benwick was unable to give a proper response.

Magilou then stated, "Something tells me that explanation frustrated you more than helped you."

"A little …It wasn't that long ago we could see them too …" Benwick sounded depressed as he then said, "Now it feels like we regressed."

Magilou replied as she wrote in her booklet, "I guess it would seem that way."

/

As Eleanor returned to where they were keeping the Daemon, she saw a distraught looking Benwick leaving the room. Eleanor's first instinct was to ask the young pirate, "Something wrong, Benwick?"

"You know …" Benwick stated, "I can't help but envy you, Eleanor."

"Envy me?" Eleanor pointed to herself.

"You can still see the first mate." That was all the explanation Benwick needed for Eleanor to understand.

"Oh right …" Eleanor looked down as she said, "Eizen isn't exactly pleased by that either."

"I see …" Benwick stated, "It was tough enough when we lost the Captain, but losing our ability to see or hear the first mate really hurt us, too. At least he helped us prepare for when we couldn't see him anymore, but still …"

Eleanor stated, "I can understand what you mean … I can still see him, but if I couldn't see him or anyone else I've come to know … it would feel … strange not to see them anymore."

"Yes …" Benwick stated, "Sometimes I … You know feel his presence or something, but I can't see him. The very fact you were talking to him is proof that my feelings were right."

Eleanor stated, "Eizen really looked up to Aifread. It's probably one of the reasons he wants to keep an eye on you."

"Yeah well …" Benwick remarked as he left, "I wish it didn't have to be like that."

/

Eleanor returned to the room to see Magilou at the table. Eleanor first turned her attention to the sleeping Daemon as she said, "I see he's been behaving himself."

Magilou remarked, "I told you there wasn't anything to worry about. Not when you have the great Magilou on your side." After she was finished boasting, she returned to her writing.

Eleanor rolled her eyes.

Magilou didn't even look as she casually remarked, "No need to make that face."

Eleanor felt taken aback as she began to say, "But you didn't …"

"I know it." Magilou said as he continued to write.

"Okay then …" Eleanor then decided to ask, "By the way, are you writing something?"

Magilou continued writing as she answered, "I'm multiple-tasking." She then took out another booklet and wrote in that as well, "If you're curious, you'll have to wait."

Eleanor asked, "You mean you'll tell me what you're writing? No 'super-secret' stuff?"

"No. Not this time." Magilou grinned as she looked at Eleanor, "That's partly because I want to know how you'd react."

"Is that so?" Eleanor let her uneasiness show as she said, "I don't know if I like the sound of that."

"You probably shouldn't." Magilou stated, "Despite that, I think your feedback will be necessary."

Eleanor remarked, "If you really need my feedback that much, I'll give it to you. Just tell me when you need it." 

Magilou grinned as she stated, "Will do."

Bienfu materialized as he whispered to Magilou, "Is it that bad, Miss Magilou?"

Magilou softly replied, "It could be worse, but one that is necessary."

"…" Eleanor didn't hear this exchange as she looked at the Daemon lying on the bed. "Magilou … Did Melchior cause the Aball villagers to betray Velvet's family? Is he the reason why Velvet's sister died Why Laphicet was … why he was never born? Why Artorius became who he became?"

"I wouldn't know, but would that really change anything?" Magilou asked.

"That doesn't matter, Magilou." Eleanor put her hands on the table which caused Magilou to look in her direction as she firmly stated, "I need to know the truth. I always wondered why the villagers betrayed Velvet's family. I was angry when I learned about it, but I should've been more suspicious since it was 'Melchior's testimony.' I spent a lot of my life being ignorant, and I don't want that anymore." Eleanor leaned on the table as she began to plead, "If you know anything Magilou, please tell me."

"…" Magilou sighed as she put down her booklet. She admitted, "I honestly don't know if Melchior did it or not, but I have a strong feeling that he did."

Eleanor then asked, "Could you explain?"

Magilou stated, "You told me before how in the Earth Pulse memories, that Melchior only showed up after Velvet's sister was killed and Artorius had lost use in his right arm, right?"

"Hmm-Hmph." Eleanor nodded.

Magilou then continued, "I always found that timing to be suspect. Melchior clearly knew what was happening. If he did, why didn't he show up sooner? We also saw in Edward's memories that Melchior was heading toward Aball prior to that incident. He was looking for Artorius. We've seen the lengths Melchior has gone to achieve his goals, and he had the ability to pull off some moves people would never see coming He did try to manipulate Velvet with her own dreams, and his magic affected an entire town's worth of people to sell that dream as reality."

Eleanor pointed out, "Those people at the port did cause Velvet to lower her guard."

Magilou stated, "While I don't doubt Aball did betray Velvet's family, I know Melchior had the personality and the power to manipulate people. Chances are he did something to cause Aball to go through with selling out Velvet's family. I lack proof, but it feel like the most plausible explanation to me. Of course we will never know the truth. After all, the Aball villagers and Melchior are dead."

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned as she leaned on the table and said, "That's what I thought …"

"It is all speculation though." Magilou stated, "Unless Melchior actually did tell this guy anything and we didn't see it in those memories, chances are any proof of Melchior's involvement died with him."

Eleanor looked at Magilou as she asked, "Could his soul affect the Empyrean like Velvet's brother affected Innominat?"

"I doubt that the Innominat we saw was really affected by the original 'Laphicet'." Magilou stated.

"What do you mean?" Eleanor inquired.

"Innominat may have used Laphicet # 1's body, and he had Laphicet # 1's memories to hurt Velvet, but I don't think he affected Innominat beyond that. I'm pretty sure Innominat was like that long before 'Laphicet # 1' fused with him. It's more likely he used the original Laphicet's memories and appearance to look like Velvet's 'Laphi' to mess with her." 

"I guess that could've happened, but what about Melchior?" Eleanor inquired.

Magilou stated, "None of the Empyreans were that eager about Innominat. I don't think even someone like Melchior could change that. As far as I'm concerned, we'll never have to worry about Melchior here again."

Eleanor let out a breath as she said, "I hope you're right."

Magilou stated, "Of course that doesn't mean his messes have been cleansed because of his death."

"…" Eleanor only needed to look at the Daemon.

/

When they were getting closer to shore, Eizen paid Eleanor a visit. The moment he entered the room, it didn't take him long to notice, "I see you're worried about something."

Eleanor mused, "You know me so well."

"Hmph." Eizen grinned as he stated, "You're just easy to read."

Eleanor stated, "I'm thinking about what Velvet told me … back when we were on the island during our vacation."

Eizen rhetorically asked, "When you two became a couple?"

Well …" Eleanor's cheek brightened as she scratched the back of her head. "I was… It was the day before that actually."

"Hmm …" Eizen listened to what Eleanor had to say next.

"Anyway," Eleanor began to make her point, "Velvet told me something … I tried to convince her to use Laphicet's flames to return her to being a human."

Eizen merely replied, "I see …"

Eleanor explained, "I figured that after Artorius and Innominat were defeated, she wouldn't need to be a Daemon anymore, but Velvet told me a lot of things. There was one thing she told me that makes me wonder … Velvet told me about the day she was turned into a Theron in great detail. She told me that she felt her 'humanity' leave her when she was changed."

Eizen stated, "I'd imagine other people who turned into Daemons felt something similar."

"Yeah, but Velvet also said that she didn't think the flames would work on her because she embraced her Daemon power." Eleanor felt a sense of dread crawl up her spine as she stated, "She embraced them because she knew they were her best bet to killing Artorius."

"Hmm …" Eizen replied, "She wasn't wrong."

"Yes … After what happened to Rokurou, she might've been right." Eleanor pointed out, "He embraced being a Daemon as well since it helped him fight his brother. After we won, Rokurou was covered by Laphicet's flames, but he didn't turn back into being human."

"I think Rokurou was a doomed case." Eizen remarked, "I always figured he preferred being a Daemon over a human. He seemed rather ecstatic he didn't change back. Velvet saw being a Daemon as a means to an end rather than getting any enjoyment out of it."

Eleanor nodded as she said, "That's true, but still … I really would like to know if we could've made Velvet human again."

"I doubt we'll ever know." Eizen had his arms crossed as he stated, "It's better not to focus on such a hypnotical situation and focus on what you can do. Thanks to Laphicet, we found out that Daemons can be saved. Let's try to find out if that Daemon can be saved as well. I'll do what I can to help you."

"You're right …" Eleanor graciously replied, "Thanks again, Eizen." 

Eizen nodded, "Any time."

/

Thanks to the arrangements Benwick made, they were able to smuggle Edward out of Port Zekson by a cart. Eizen, Eleanor, and Magilou made their way to Artorius former altar on top of the temple where Laphicet resided. However, he preferred to be called by the true name Eleanor had given him when they formed their bond, Maotelus, which was a name befitting the large Dragon Empyrean form he had taken.

When they arrived at the Altar, Eizen carried the Daemon over his shoulder until they reached the top of the stairs and he promptly placed the Daemon by his feet. No sooner had they arrived Laphicet's Empyrean form manifested. His dragon form was an impressively magnificent sight. His scales were completely white and they appeared to glow in the sunlight. His size was so massive it looked like there was hardly enough room for him on the top of this temple.

Eizen, Eleanor, and Magilou were forced to look upward, so they could properly see Laphicet as he looked down at them. It felt as if they would get a crook in their neck if they were forced to keep looking up like this. However, the sound of Laphicet's voice contrasted with his size.

The voice of 'Maotelus' still sounded like the young boy they had traveled with as he spoke, "Hey guys. It's been a while."

Eleanor sounded happy as she replied, "Too long, Laphicet."

"Eleanor …" Laphicet sounded annoyed as he said, "I've asked you to call me Maotelus now."

"I can't help it." Eleanor stated, "That's the name Velvet gave you."

"Hmm …" Laphicet took a moment before reluctantly conceding, "Okay. Okay. I won't make a big deal out of this time. Anyway, it is a little disappointing that Rokurou isn't here, but I see that the three of you decided to bring a guest. Care to explain what happened?"

"I would've wanted Rokurou to be here, but we needed to take care of our 'guest' as quickly as possible …" Eleanor looked over to the restrained Edward Daemon, "It's a long story."

Laphicet looked intently as he said, "I'm listening."

Eleanor did her best to summarize the events that transpire and the memories she and Magilou had witnessed. After all was said and done, Laphicet solemnly replied, "I see … So some things still haven't been resolved."

Eleanor stated, "Yes so that's why I was hoping you'd help us resolve this one."

Laphicet looked at the restrained Daemon before stating, "I'll see if my flames can do the trick, but I can't guarantee a thing."

Eleanor replied, "I know there's a chance this might not work, but I believe this 'will' work." She did her best to encourage the giant Seraphim, "Just believe in yourself, Laphicet. Like we all do."

"…" Eizen had his arms crossed as he smiled. Magilou grinned as well.

Laphicet's large dragon form nodded as he said, "I do. Let's give this a try." When Laphicet forced his attention the Daemon Edward, flames emerged from Laphicet's body, and then they moved and covered the Daemon's body completely. Eizen, Eleanor, and Magilou watched as the Daemon was engulfed by the silver flames. After a few moments, the flames dissipated as if they were never there. In the place of the Daemon was a man. A man in ragged clothing. In front of the man was a jewel. It was the same jewel that was attached to his forehead earlier.

Magilou walked up and picked up the jewel as she commented, "I'd say that was resounding success."

Eizen had his arms crossed, but his fingers were digging into his arms. The space between his eyebrows became smaller as wrinkles formed on his forehead as he asked, "Magilou, is that thing …?"

"Yep." Magilou flipped the jewel like a coin and caught it in midair before Eizen could finish his question. She held up the jewel as she said, "This is one of Melchior's toys." Magilou shivered as she stated, "I can practically sense his aura radiating off this thing."

Eizen then inquired, "Are there more of them?"

Magilou looked at the jewel as she stated, "There might be. Can't be sure. He wasn't exactly open to me about anything even when I was his apprentice."

Eleanor inquired, "If there were, could we track them down?"

"Hmm …" Magilou held up the jewel as she said, "Maybe. I'll hang onto this for now." Magilou placed the jewel in her pocket as she said, "It might help me figure out what the story is."

"Ugh …" The three looked to see Edward was groaning. He appeared to be regaining consciousness faster than anyone anticipated.

Eleanor rushed to his side and knelt down by his side as she told him, "Hey … Are you okay …?" She looked to the Witch and told her, "Magilou! Undo your restraints!"

Without saying a word, Magilou moved her hands which caused the bindings of Edward's arms to be undone which caused his hands to fall to the side. After he groaned again, he started to move his arms, so he could push himself off the floor.

"Hey … Take it easy." Eleanor's warned as she put her hand behind Edward's back.

The sound of Eleanor's voice caused Edward's ears to perk up. He slowly spoke, "I'm … I'm fine, Eleanor." Edward replied even though his eyes were still closed.

"You …" Eleanor asked in surprise, "You know my name?"

"I heard your name earlier …" Edward groaned and pushed himself off the ground. He was on his knees as he then nursed his head, "I've been kinda in and out of it for a while, so I heard some of the stuff you guys were saying … It's a lot …"

"Is that so …" Eleanor then calmly said, "It must be a lot to process …"

"I've had a few days to process some of it …" Edward took a breath, "Some of it was stuff I had been suspecting … I thought what 'Arthur' did was strange … He didn't even seem to care about what happened to his family …"

"…" Everyone including Laphicet were unable to say a word.

Edward slowly opened his eyes as he said, "I was a Daemon …" He glanced at his human hand as he said, "But I'm not now?"

"Yes …" Eleanor began to say when Edward looked up.

"Holy crap!" Edward fell back before pushing himself up again as he exclaimed, "You're a lot bigger than I thought you'd be!"

"You can see him!?" Eleanor exclaimed as she stood up.

"Yes!" Edward said as he looked up and pointed at the dragon, "You're Laphicet?!"

"That's …" Laphicet then said, "Technically my name."

"Did you free me from being a Daemon?" Edward asked.

Laphicet began to say, "It wasn't just me. It was …"

"His silver flames cured you." Eleanor interrupted, "We brought you here, but it was Laphicet's flames that saved you."

Edward bowed his head, "Thank you so much! You have my gratitude!"

Laphicet held up one of his claws as he attempted to wave off the praise, "There's no need for that. I was just doing what I said I would do."

As the exchange was happening, Eizen looked to Magilou who then said, "Perhaps being subjected to Melchior's experiments awakened an inner resonance within him."

"Hmm …" Eizen just looked at Edward without saying a thing.

"Ugh …" Edward groaned again as he nursed his head.

"Are you okay?" Eleanor asked.

"I think … I think I'll be fine." Edward said as he rubbed his head.

"You're head is still a mess after what Melchior put you through." Magilou seriously advised the man, "You should get some rest. I'm sure Benwick can help you with that."

"Okay …" Edward reluctantly accepted the suggestion.

After they escorted him back to the cart, Benwick took him back to Port Zekson. Afterwards, they ascended back to the top of the temple at Laphicet's request.

"Now that it's just us, there is something I was hoping to talk to you all about." Laphicet continued to speak while his three former traveling companions looked up and let him speak, "I've noticed that more than a few people are greatly distressed over the missing 'Shepherd'. While Artorius' death has not been made public yet, there are rumors of his death along with the other key members of the Abbey who were defeated."

Eleanor looked down as she said, "Yes I know … We saved the people from the true plans of Artorius and the Abbey, but they'll never know about it."

Laphicet concurred, "Yes. As much as it pains me, I know if the people were aware of the Abbey's crimes, the people would lose faith, and they will never be able to trust anyone. We need someone to help keep the people's faith strong as the world is being rebuilt, so they won't become overwhelmed by Malevolence."

Eleanor's eyes widened as she felt herself involuntarily back away, "Laphicet … are you suggesting …?"

"Yes!" Laphicet was looking directly down at Eleanor through his 'dragon' eyes as he proclaimed, "Eleanor Hume, I would like you to become the next Shepherd."

"Oh!" Magilou clapped her hands, "Congratulations, Eleanor."

"Me … The Shepherd?" Eleanor pointed to herself as she voiced her disbelief, "There's no way … A position like that should …"

Laphicet spoke, "You've more than proven yourself qualified for the title, Eleanor."

Eizen spoke up, "He's right. While you can be emotional, it's not necessarily a bad thing. You care for others, and I believe that's because you understand loss better than anyone. You've also proven to be intelligent, and you can think for yourself. Two other fine leadership qualities."

Magilou cheekily grinned as she stated, "I think he hit the nail on the head."

Laphicet nodded his gigantic head as he remarked, "Yeah. I couldn't have said it better myself."

"I … I don't know …" Eleanor voiced her dissenting argument, "At first when Artorius became the Shepherd, I thought it was a good thing, but in reality he just wanted to control all of us as if we were sheep. It might be better if that title dies along with Artorius."

"…" Eizen and Magilou remained silent after hearing Eleanor's argument.

"That is …" Laphicet conceded, "A reasonable argument, Eleanor. You do have a point that maybe it should be forgotten like Innominat needs to be. However, I would like to think you can perform the role the way it was meant to be."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow as she inquired, "What do you mean?

Laphicet stated, "When Artorius was given that title, the people believed it was meant that he could continue to act as their protector of the people like a Shepherd protects his flock. I believe you can do this and set an example for others to come."

"Others to come?" Eleanor repeated Laphicet's last words before realizing the implication, "Are you saying you'd want that position to endure?"

"Yes." Laphicet bluntly replied, "If I can, I'd like to see the position endure for as many generations as possible. Until we find a right way to help our world grow and not need to worry about Malevolence or Daemons."

"Hmm …" Magilou scratched her chin as she remarked, "That's a tall order, Kiddo."

Eizen gave his two-cents, "I doubt even I'd live long enough to see that."

Laphicet nodded, "Probably, but I still believe it is an ideal worth striving for, so that our world can have a future. I believe having a position filled by one that could be neutral and fair to the different kingdoms and people could be the key to helping our world."

Eizen seemed fairly impressed by Laphicet's reasoning, "I can see that you thought this through."

Magilou clapped her hands, "Gotta give the kid points for thinking ahead, but …"

Bienfu finished Magilou's thoughts as he materialized, "The decision isn't up to any of us."

"…" Eleanor knew all eyes were on her as she reluctantly asked, "Can I think about it?"

"Of course." Laphicet then assured Eleanor, "You don't have to become the Shepherd if you don't want. There might be a better way. If you can find it, I will support it."

"Thank you." With that Eleanor decided to take her leave and head back to the port.

/

When they returned to Port Zekson, Eleanor went off on her own as she wandered in the town. Eventually, she decided to lean against a wall to rest.

Eleanor sat on the ground and rested her head against the wall as she said to herself, "What am I supposed to do?" Even though there was no one around to answer, she said, "I've always done my best to 'move on' … To be honest, I'm not really sure what it means anymore … At least I don't think so … it just feels like I'm always trying to 'move on'."

"And you always have been." A familiar voice spoke to Eleanor.

When Eleanor looked up, she saw that she was no longer in the town. It didn't take long for Eleanor to figure out, "I fell asleep again, didn't I?"

"Just like I would when I sat outside the ship." Velvet spoke to Eleanor. "I would sit outside and lean against the wall. Before I knew it, I'd fall asleep."

Velvet and Eleanor were sitting back-to-back to each other. Eleanor did not bother looking over her shoulder as she said, "I take it that you can hear me now."

"Yes." Velvet sounded rather pleased as she told Eleanor, "Loud and clear. Don't let me stop you. Go on."

Eleanor sighed before continuing her point, "Moving on … First it was just my mom and I … Then, it was just … After my resonance awakened, I became an Exorcist. After all that, I ended up joining your group. I was forced to at first, but I ended up staying willingly after a while. When all that was done, you and Laphicet were … you both willing scarified yourselves … You're both are still alive, but you became Innominat's seal and Laphicet became Innominat's replacement as an Empyrion. We can't travel together anymore … I thought I could get over it, but I'm just sad … I miss those days … I never would've thought I'd miss them, but I do."

After Eleanor was finished speaking, Velvet told Eleanor, "You're not the only one that misses the."

"Velvet …" Was the only word Eleanor could say.

"But you've done well, Eleanor." Velvet sounded pleased as she said, "Despite everything, I know you'll figure something out just like you and Magilou figured out about that Daemon, and you even saved his life, too. You should be proud. I'm proud of you."

"Yeah …" Eleanor replied.

"But …" Eleanor could hear Velvet getting up as she said, "… it might be time to get going."

Eleanor closed her eyes as she heard Velvet beginning to walk away, "Velvet … Please don't go … Not again … Not …"

Eleanor suddenly woke up to see she was still leaning against the building she was resting at. She could see that she had dozed off. Despite her surroundings, Eleanor stood up and frantically looked around. There was no sight of Velvet. That truly was another dream.

"Not too smart." Eleanor turned to see Eizen leaning against the wall before remarking, "I hear humans can get sick."

Eleanor asked, "Have you been watching out for me?"

"Well …" Eizen pushed himself off the wall as he remarked, "I'm not about to leave a young lady sleeping alone on the street."

Eleanor nodded, "Thanks, Eizen. I don't know what happened, but I guess I must've dozed off."

Eizen then remarked, "Just like Velvet would."

"… Yes." Eleanor sorrowfully replied.

Eizen then inquired, "What were you dreaming about?"

"I was …" Eleanor admitted, "Actually, I'm not really sure if I was dreaming."

"Hmm?" That caught Eizen's attention.

Eleanor explained, "When I was asleep, Velvet was there. Velvet spoke to me.

"Interesting …" Eizen asked, "You think Velvet telepathically spoke to you in your dreams? 

"It … wasn't the first time …." Eleanor looked down as she told Eizen, "It's been happening ever since I went to Aball …" Eleanor looked up as she rhetorically asked, "It sounds crazy doesn't it?"

"Of course it does, but we've been through a lot of crazy things." Eizen held up his hand has he began listing everything, "We've seen dream illusions. We've also seen a kid become an Empyrean as well as people who are practically immortal. Not to mention, Daemons turning back to human. With everything that's happened, hardly anything could surprise me now."

"So …" Eleanor felt a sense of relief as she asked, "you believe me?"

Eizen nodded, "Yes."

"Then I need to go back to Aball." Eleanor firmly stated, "I still have some unfinished business there. Business I can only complete there."

"If you need help getting there, I'll be more than happy to oblige." Eizen then corrected himself, "Or rather Benwick will."

Eleanor then stated, "Then we'll leave in the morning. Let's make sure to take Magilou and Edward with us."

Eizen reminded Eleanor, "You'll have to ask Benwick about that, but I'm sure he'll be happy to bring them."

"Yes." Eleanor stated, "And Eizen …"

Eizen replied likewise. "Eleanor."

Eleanor stated with certainty, "I know that once I get back to Aball, I'll be able to find the answers I'm looking for."

/

 **Author Notes** : The next chapter will be the final chapter of this story. It feels bittersweet that this story is coming to an end, but the time to conclude is coming. I feel proud that I was able to complete this story.

Eizen made the most sense since it was established in the video game that Sylphjays were useful in sending messages like Ravens were useful in Game of Thrones. I decided that I would bring him back in time for the finale of this story, so he could help Eleanor and Magilou bring Edward back to Laphicet. The Aifread Pirates would be perfect in helping smuggle Edward in and out of a port.

Personally, I'm pleased with how I had Eleanor and Laphicet have completely opposing points of views regarding the position of the Shepherd. While Eleanor apparently does become the Shepherd in canon, I can't imagine it was easy for her. I know I might feel uneasy. Regardless, Eleanor does understand some good can come of it.

Thank you for reading, so be sure to provide a review. It will be appreciated. Hope you had a Merry Christmas 2018 and a Happy New Year.


	10. Resolution

**Author Notes** : The time of the "Sorrowful Peace" finale has come. With this final chapter, it will mark the end of my "Tales of Berseria" fanfiction stories. As I mentioned before, both "Spoken & Unspoken Words" and "Sorrowful Peace" take place in the same continuity. If you haven't read "Spoken & Unspoken Words" yet, please be sure to check out that story as well.

I hope you'll all enjoy this final chapter. Be sure to leave a review. Feedback is always appreciated.

/

Sorrowful Peace

Chapter Ten – Final – Resolution

/

Do not stay behind

Decisions need to be made

You must move forward

/

Prior to leaving on the Aifread pirate ship, Eleanor made sure to pay a visit to Magilou's room. She informed her that they would be leaving the following morning, and she was welcome to come along for the ride.

"Figures." Magilou shrugged, "We just left, and we're already heading back."

Eleanor looked down as she said, "It's something I need to do."

"I know. I know. Anyway, glad to see you're not trying and leave me behind." Magilou slyly smiled as she asked, "Have you grown to enjoy my company that much?"

"Don't go that far ahead." Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone, "I just wanted to make sure whether or not you wanted to come along."

"Well … I guess we're not done yet are we? You haven't made your decision yet." Magilou pointed out, "We may have gotten closure on that mystery, but 'you' don't have closure yet do you? That's why you're heading back to Aball, right?'

Eleanor sighed, "There's no point in hiding anything from you."

"Quite right." Magilou remarked, "I take it that you'll be taking our little 'sleeping Daemon' back with us as well?"

"Of course." Eleanor justified, "He still needs to know the truth about what really happened."

"Oh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to tell him everything?"

"He can see Seraphim, and he was tortured by Melchior." Eleanor sighed as she said, "Melchior ruined his life too, so he deserves to know. Besides, I'm sure he's ready to go home."

"I'm sure he is." Magilou remarked. "That does seem like something any good Exorcist would do."

"Former Exorcist." Eleanor held up her hand as she insisted. "But that's beside the point. Just be ready for the morning. I'll be sure to tell Edward the same." Eleanor turned around and left the room.

"…" Magilou was briefly silent when the former Exorcist was about to leave the room. "Ahem …" The sound of Magilou 'clearing her throat' was enough to get the Eleanor to look over her shoulder, "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"And what was that?" Eleanor asked as she turned around.

"It was about you and Velvet." Magilou remarked, "I was telling you before about how Velvet never really hated you. Just your naivety. Chances are she was probably just like you."

"Yes … I got a sense of that back in the Dream Aball." Eleanor solemnly stated, "She was like that before both her brothers betrayed her and turned her into a Therion. She more or less told me that herself."

"Well …" Magilou clapped her hands as she said, "that just goes to show karma can be a real bitch. They both got what they deserved, and so did Melchior."

"…" Eleanor looked down as she somberly stated, "And Velvet is gone too because of it."

"I feel like this whole conversation is just going to go around in circles." Magilou put both of her hands behind her head as she asked, "Do you mind if we talk about something else now?"

Eleanor sighed, "Whenever I think about this my head goes in circles. I keep thinking back to how they all started and how it'll stay with us until we're dead and probably even longer than that."

"That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing." Magilou then said, "I'm sure you know why. You should know that by now, right? If people remember their mistakes then they …" Magilou was leading Eleanor on to give an answer.

"Won't repeat them." Eleanor answered.

Magilou clapped her hands. "Correct."

"Yeah … I get it." Eleanor stated, "After meeting you guys, I was proven a little more wrong every day. The Abbey's actions were harming the world far more than helping them. They just did a good job hiding it."

"…" Magilou let Eleanor finish her point.

Eleanor leaned on the nearest wall as she said, "I thought the Abbey's good intentions were for the best for the world, but I was wrong …"

Magilou remarked, "History shows that most of the greatest tragedies were caused by people with good intentions."

"If I become the Shepherd, do you really think I'll be able to change things?" Eleanor asked. "That I won't end up creating a new cycle?"

"You'll need to answer that question yourself." Magilou remarked.

"Hmm …" Eleanor decided to take that to heart as she gripped her chest.

/

On the voyage back to Eastgand, Edward became another in the handful of people to learn the truth. Eleanor explained everything to him. The truth of how Arthur became Artorius. What became of Velvet, and how she became the 'Lord of Calamity'. The true result of the war between 'Magilou's Managerie' and the Abbey. Along with what Innominat was and the true goal that would've destroyed everything.

"That is …" Edward slumped in his chair and shook his head, "… just incredible."

"If I hadn't been there to see it happen, I would've had a hard time believing it myself." Eleanor assured the former Daemon.

"So Arthur …" Edward looked up and looked Eleanor in the eyes as he asked, "… he's really dead?"

"…" Eleanor took a breath and nodded, "Yes. I witnessed his death myself."

"Hmm …" Edward looked away as he attempted to process what Eleanor had been telling him. His facial expression made it difficult for Eleanor to be sure what exactly was going through his head. At best, she could surmise that he was 'conflicted'." He leaned on the table as he moved closer, "The first thing out of his mouth was, "When I saw 'Artorius' myself, I knew who he was. I didn't talk to him much, but I did meet him a few times."

"…" Eleanor listened intently to what Edward had to say.

Edward bitterly chuckled as he remarked, "In fact, everyone in Eastgand knew who he was. For years he had gone by the name 'Arthur'. For years, he lived a humble life with Celica Crowe and her family. He continued to care for Celica's siblings even after she died. A part of me despised him for not saving Celica, but I also respected him for caring for Laphicet and Velvet as if they were his own. However, after the incident in Aball, they were gone too, and Arthur was being hailed as the hero 'Artorius'."

"Hmm …" Eleanor wanted to say something, but she realized that now was not the time.

"I wanted to know what happened to Laphicet and Velvet." Edward thought back to how they found the bodies in the clearing by the ruins as he remarked, "Unlike the other villagers, we never did find their bodies. Everyone assumed they died, but it rubbed me the wrong way to believe that. Something just wasn't right, but there was no one to give me the answer."

"I can understand." Eleanor finally spoke up as she continued to sit across from him. "After I met Velvet, I saw some things that caused me to question him as well."

"In the end, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he sacrificed Laphicet and Velvet," Edward's voice sounded completely dumbfounded as he asked, "but did he really turn Velvet into the 'Lord of Calamity'?"

"…" Eleanor stood up from the table. There was an awkward moment of silence before Eleanor turned around and said to Edward, "I would rather you not call Velvet that, but yes." Eleanor remained facing the other direction as she summarized, "Artorius did turn Velvet into the 'Lord of Calamity'. When he cut off her arm, Innominat took advantage of her, and he turned her into a Therion that Artorius imprisoned for three years."

"I see …" Edward leaned on the table with both of his elbows as he remarked, "So the 'hero' ended up creating his greatest enemy that wound up derailing his plans and killed him. Isn't that ironic?"

"Yes …" Eleanor turned around to face Edward as she told him, "It was a little more complicated than that, but that was basically it."

"…" Edward leaned back on his chair again and looked up to the ceiling. "… It's hard for me to fathom everything that's happened, but after witnessing some of it … I can't exactly deny any of it. That'd just be stupid."

"No you can't." Bienfu materialized in front of Edward.

"What the?!" Edward was so caught off guard that he nearly fell out of his chair as he exclaimed, "A Malak?!"

"They're actually called Seraphim." Eleanor stated. "When Edward looked at Eleanor, she then remarked, "So you really can see Bienfu. It wasn't just temporary."

"No." Magilou remarked as she made her presence known. "I wouldn't be surprised if getting turned into a Daemon and touching Laphicet's flames affected your perception. Maybe you had a strong resonance that only needed a little extra 'kick' to awaken it like how being Laphicet's vessel affected our good friend Eleanor here."

"…" Eleanor did not give a response.

"Anyway, it won't be long before we reach Aball." Magilou advised Eleanor, "Try not to take too long on making your decision. You don't want us to get bored."

"I'll make it my number one priority." Eleanor replied in a deadpan tone as Magilou made her exit. Edward could see that Eleanor was not in the mood to continue their conversation, so he decided to make his exit as well.

/

Shortly after arriving at the port, Edward was greeted by a few familiar faces who were worried about how he disappeared a few months ago without word. During the voyage, they had discussed a 'cover story', and they explained the Abbey had taken Edward in after he had been injured. It was an easy enough story to buy.

After things had settled down, Eleanor and Edward headed to Aball first. Eleanor got her horse, and she offered to help Edward, but he insisted on riding his own horse. Despite how long it had been, Edward proved to be surprisingly decent at riding.

As soon as they arrived at Aball, Eleanor and Edward headed straight towards the Crowe Household. It was just as desolate as Eleanor had left it several days ago. However, the area felt different compared to how it felt when she came on her own.

As Edward approached Velvet's makeshift grave, Eleanor could feel the wind suddenly pick up. Her long hair flapped in the breeze again which caused her to turn around. She was looking in the direction of the ruins again. Before Eleanor did anything, she looked back towards Edward who was kneeling in front of Velvet's makeshift grave. She remained silent as she listened to him speak.

"Velvet …" Edward took a deep breath as he solemnly looked at the grave, "Velvet Crowe … I didn't get to know you that well, but I know you tried to be a good sister to Celica and Laphicet. You didn't deserve what happened to you. You wer e dealt a shitty hand, and you played it as best as you could. Your friends … they told me a few things, and it sounds like an incredible tale, but I believe it. I believe every word. After what happened to me, how couldn't I?"

"…" Eleanor listened intently to Edward's words.

"I know that you did some selfish and even terrible things, but I can't bring myself to condemn you." Edward's voice sounded sincere as he solemnly spoke, "If I had gone through what you did, there's no telling what I would've been willing to do to get my revenge. Despite everything you did before, you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save others. In the end, I think that makes you a hero. The rest of the world will never know the truth, but I won't forget it. I'll be sure to do what I can to help the world move forward."

"…" Hearing those words caused Eleanor to break out into a smile. It was difficult to explain how she felt, but she would probably best define it as a mixture of happiness and gratitude.

Edward stood up as he told the grave, "Wherever you are Velvet, I hope you can find peace. I know thanks to what you and your friends did, I will be able to find mine."

After Edward was finished speaking to Velvet's makeshift grave, he walked over to Eleanor who gripped her chest as she told him, "Thanks for saying that."

Edward told her, "I meant every word. You will always have my thanks as well. If you ever need my help, I'll be there."

Eleanor held up her left hand as she replied, "There's no need for that." 

"No." Edward shook his head, "What you and that 'Witch' friend of yours did for me was more than what a simple 'thanks' can cover."

"Heh …" Eleanor chuckled in amusement, "Be glad Magilou didn't hear you say that."

Edward couldn't help but laugh as well, and a smile spread across his face.

Eleanor then asked, "So what are you going to do now? Are you going to go back to being a dock worker again?"

"I don't think so …" Edward looked back and forth in the area as he inquired, "This is basically a time for rebirth and reconstruction, right?"

Eleanor answered, "Yes."

Edward looked Eleanor in the eyes as he stated, "Then I want to contribute to that. I want to start with Aball. Despite everything that happened, this is where the Crowe family called home. I know neither Celica nor Velvet would wish for this village to remain lifeless forever, and I don't either. I want to bring this village back to glory. The original villagers might be gone, but I'll do my best to rebuild it."

"Hmph." Eleanor couldn't help but think back to the 'Dream Aball' as she smiled as she told Edward, "Velvet would definitely appreciate that."

"That's not all." Edward stated, "After I'm done with Aball, I don't want to just stop here. I also want to help rebuild other villagers that have been destroyed by the Abbey and Daemons, so they can all have a new beginning."

Eleanor replied, "That sounds like a worthy cause to pursue. I'll do what I can to help."

"I'll appreciate the help." Edward looked back at Velvet's grave as he said, "I know I won't be able to fix them all, but I'll do what I can." He turned to face Eleanor again as he asked, "However, have you made a decision about what you want to do?"

Eleanor asked, "Pardon?"

Edward clarified, "Helping me out is fine, but what do you plan to do for yourself?"

"Not yet …" Eleanor told Edward, "There is one more person I need to talk to before I make my final decision. I really need to think it through. This will affect more than just me."

"Fair enough." Edward nodded as he rhetorically asked, "That's why you came back, right? You wanted closure to what happened on your journey, right? Sometimes the only way to move on is to get closure on the past."

"Yes." Eleanor replied.

Edward nodded, "I understand. In that case, you might as well take care of first things first. I won't get in your way."

"Thank you." Eleanor graciously said.

"However," Eleanor felt herself pause when she heard Edward say, "I would like to give you some advice."

"Okay …" Eleanor replied.

"Personally," Edward pointed to himself as he admitted, "I don't know if I'll ever completely feel closure over what happened. However, I got a lot of answers thanks to you and Magilou. Now, I know why Arthur changed. I finally found out what happened to Velvlet and Laphi. I also found out why some other things happened." Edward took a breath as he shook his head, "Now that I know what I know, I'm ready to move on with my life and do something. Even if I never feel 'complete' closure, I definitely feel much better after knowing the truth."

"I see …" Eleanor nodded, "That makes sense."

"In the end …" Edward warned, "My advice would be to take your time to think it over, but try not to take too long. You might end up going around in circles if you overthink. You said that you needed to talk to someone, make sure to talk to that person about 'everything' that's troubling you because they might be able to help." Edward scratched the back of his head as he admitted, "I know I might be the last person who should give advice, but take it from someone who did none of that."

Eleanor assured the man, "No. It's good advice. If I can talk to this person, I was going to try and talk about as much as I could." 

"Then I guess you didn't really need my advice then." Edward bowed his head as he stated, "I'll leave you to it. I'll head back to town later. I just want to clean up Celica's grave first if you don't mind."

Eleanor smiled as she told the man, "I'm sure Velvet would appreciate it. I'll see you later, Edward."

Before Eleanor left, Edward reminded her as he held out his hand, "If you ever need help, I'll do what I can."

Eleanor accepted the gesture and shook his hand. He had a firm grip, and she could see the conviction in his eyes as she said, "I appreciate that."

Afterward, Eleanor climbed on her horse and began to ride away from the Crowe household. She briefly glanced over her shoulder to look at the Crowe household once more before continuing on her way. Eleanor was not heading back to the port just yet. There was somewhere else she needed to go first. When Eleanor got off her horse, she found herself by Innominat's ruins again. This time her horse was not frightened. Elneaor was able to calmly tie the reigns securely before walking toward the cliff.

Eleanor didn't spare the hole a glance as she walked around it. She sat down by the cliff's edge with her legs crossed, and she straightened her back, so she could have the best posture. She could feel the sea wind hit her face as she closed her eyes. She could feel her disheveled hair lift as the wind continued to blow in her direction. Eleanor breathed deeply as she attempted to calm her heartbeat. She concentrated on her slowing heart, so she could be free from distractions.

However before she could achieve these, she heard a familiar voice speak which caused her eyes to open, "What're you doing out here?"

Eleanor didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking to her. She merely replied to Magilou's question with, "Mediating."

Magilou stated, "I can see that, but why'd you choose a venue like his?'

Before answering that question, Eleanor looked over her shoulder as she decided to ask, "How'd you know I'd be here?"

Magilou tilted her hat as she winked, "It's not that hard to figure you out by now my dear Exorcist?"

"…" Eleanor remained silent.

"So why are you here?" Magilou asked.

Eleanor replied, "I already told you."

"Oh, but you didn't." Magilou pointed out, "You told me what you're doing. You didn't tell me why you're here."

"Why?" Eleanor stated, "I thought it'd be obvious to you."

"Not as much as you'd think." Magilou asked, "Are you going to tell me or not Eleanor?"

"… Fine." Eleanor sighed as she stood up and faced Magilou, "I came here because this is where it all began. This is where Innominat was sleeping. This is where Velvet's sister died. This is where her sister's unborn child died. Where Laphicet's unborn human form, died along with his mother."

"…" Not even Magilou felt capable of interrupting Eleanor as she spoke.

Eleanor took another breath as she pointed at the hole as she said, "This is where Velvet witnessed her brother-in-law sacrifice her brother." Eleanors' voice began sounding angrier and more frustrated with each point, "This is where she was betrayed and dismembered. This is where she was turned into a Therion and forced to kill all those villagers, including her friend Niko, who had been turned into Daemons before she was imprisoned. This is also were we found Niko dogs who had been turned into Therions themselves because of Artorius. If anyone of those things didn't happen, everything would've been different."

"So …" Magilou then asked, "What are you thinking. Do you think meditating here somehow is going to give you your answer?"

Eleanor closed her eyes and took a breath, "Kinda, yeah."

Magilou glanced around before stating, "I hope you have something else in mind other than sitting around, but if that's what you think will help you then," Magilou shrugged, "who am I to judge."

"…" Eleanor didn't say a word.

Magilou turned around as she told Eleanor, "I'll see you at the house."

After Magilou made her exit, Eleanor looked out to the ocean again and sat down with her legs crossed. She closed her eyes as she attempted to concentrate once again. Eleanor calmed her heartbeat, and she did her best to rid herself of any distractions.

/

Eleanor did not know how long she was in this position for. It could have been a few minutes. It could've been a few hours. Time appeared to be lost on her as she kept her eyes closed and attempted to silence the outside noises.

"So you came back." A familiar voice spoke to Eleanor.

Eleanor opened her eyes only to see the world around her was completely dark, but she could feel there was someone behind her. Sitting behind her, was the one she had longed to see, but she knew that this could never be possible again. In fact, when Eleanor attempted to look over her shoulder, she felt as if something was stopping her from doing so. It was as if an invisible force prevented her from twisting her body. The only thing she could do was stare forward, but she was content with this.

Even though she couldn't see Velvet, Eleanor still smiled as she said, "I knew it. I knew I'd be able to talk to you again if I came back here."

Velvet remained sitting behind Eleanor as she spoke to her, "Not that I don't appreciate it, but what made you want to come back?"

"Are you kidding?" Eleanor made it clear it was obvious as she spoke, "For you Velvet. There are so many things I wanted to say, but I don't know where to begin."

Velvet spoke, "Start with the first thing that comes to you."

Eleanor took a deep breath before asking, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Velvet sighed before answering, "Because you would've stopped me, and you would've lost me anyway. Then I would've lost you."

Eleanor remained facing forward as she asked in disbelief, "What do you mean? We could've tried stopping Innominat another way."

"You say that, but you remember what happened that day?" Velvet reminded Eleanor, "Laphi … Innominat was going out of control from his hunger. Even if we managed to incapacitate him, it wouldn't have lasted. If we had killed him, Phi and I would've died along with Kamoana, Medissa, and the other Therions. What I did was the only thing I could do to seal Innominat, so the rest could live."

"I …" The only thinking Eleanor said as she looked down, "I still end up losing you and Laphicet."

Velvet could only say, "In a way you did, but at least Kamoana, Medissa, and the other Therions still live."

"Yes …" Eleanor reluctantly admitted, "That's true."

Velvet looked up as she asked, "How are they?"

"Laphicet was able to return Kamoana, Medissa, and the other Therions along with Dyle back to being humans or regular animals." Eleanor was especially happy to say, "Medissa and Dyle even got married, and they adopted Kamoana."

"Heh …" Velvet chuckled as she asked, "is that right? Good for them. They'll take good care of her. They always did like her."

Eleanor happily replied, "They've done a great job, but Kamoana still wonders what happened to her mother."

Velvet's tone changed as she asked, "You haven't told her, have you?"

Eleanor shook her head as she confirmed, "No … I could never tell Kamoana what happened that day, but I had to tell her that her mother was dead."

"…" Velvet reluctantly admitted, "I suppose there wasn't any use in covering up that part anymore."

"She pretty much figured that out to be the case …" Eleanor sorrowfully pointed out, "After we freed her from that temple, she did witness her village get wiped out, so it was easy for her to 'accept' that conclusion. She was heartbroken, but Medissa and Dyle have done their best to comfort her. She's been able to start moving on, but I can only hope she never remembers what happened to her mother."

Velvet sighed as she said, "I'm afraid that's all we really can do."

"…" Eleanor remained silent.

Velvet asked, "What about you, Eleanor? You don't look that great."

Eleanor remarked in a deadpan tone, "As blunt as ever I see."

"That's who I am." Velvet asked, "Would you have me any other way?"

Eleanor smiled as she shook her head. "No."

"Is there something else?" Velvet asked.

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to tell me, but when did you know that you'd have to sacrifice yourself to become a seal to Innominat?" Eleanor didn't know what to expect when she asked that question

"It was …" Velvet likewise wasn't entirely certain how to answer that question. It took her a moment to tell her girlfriend, "… something I figured out along the way. I knew killing Innominat would kill not only myself, but it would kill Phi, Kamoana, Medissa and the other Therions since we were all connected to him." Velvet looked at her bandaged arm as she told Eleanor, "If it was just me, I wouldn't have minded it that much, but I wasn't going to let them die as well. I had 'motivation' to figure something else out. There was almost the whole 'Innominat cycle'. Killing Innominat wouldn't break it. I don't think it would anyway. I couldn't let Innominat keep getting reborn and destroy everything. Otherwise everything we did would mean nothing in the end."

"…" It was a lot for Eleanor to take in, but she accepted it as she said, "I understand why you came up with that plan, but when did you figure it out …" 

Velvet had an easier time answering that question. "I probably figured it out before we finished off the legates …"

Eleanor began to say, "So you knew even before we …" 

"Yes …" Velvet cut off her girlfriend, "I knew before our Island vacation."

"Then when I …" Eleanor began to say again. 

"Yes." Velvet cut her off again as she sadly told Eleanor, "If you had beaten me that day, I would've told you everything, but I couldn't let that happen. That's why I made sure I won. Afterwards, I would only hint at the possibility."

"I see …" Eleanor didn't know what she felt as she said to Velvet, "So you knew for weeks, and you kept it to yourself that whole time …"

"Eleanor …" Velvet softly said to her girlfriend, "I'm … I'm sorry …" Eleanor couldn't see Velvet's face, but she was certain that Velvet was beginning to shed a tear. "I'm so sorry … After the island …. After we became … you know …"

Eleanor rhetorically asked, "A couple?"

"Yes …" Velvet admitted, "… I knew it was going to be short lived, but I didn't want it to be that way …"

"Velvet …" That was the only word Eleanor could say.

"When this journey began, I just wanted to keep moving from one place to another as fast as possible." Velvet stated, "However, when we were close at the finishing line, I didn't want to reach it. I was happy … So happy …"

"…" Eleanor was silent as Velvet continued.

Velvet spoke, "That's why after our vacation, I actually did what I could to prolong our journey. That's why I became willing to check out any last minute places or take care of any other side objectives. I was able to justify it thanks to Innominat and Artorius being unable to do anything at the time." Velvet bitterly smiled as she stated, "Prolonging our journey was selfish, but that's what I am in the end. I wanted us to have a little more time together. The two of us and Phi. It was convenient for us that there were a few things left, such as helping Zavied or dealing with the Daemon of Rokurou's mother. Not to mention, we ended up having to help out at another Earth Pulse because I woke up the Empyreans. Thanks to all of that, I didn't need to come up with any excuses."

"I know what you mean." Eleanor smiled as she happily thought back to when they received the message from the Normin, "I felt relieved when the Normin asked us to investigate that strange Earth Pulse dungeon right before we went up to fight Innominat. If he had shown up any later, we would've had to fight Innominat two weeks earlier than we did. Who would've thought we'd learn about the truth regarding Malakhim and Seraphim up there."

"Yeah." Velvet bitterly remarked, "We learned humans aren't the only species capable of backstabbing their own."

"That's …" Eleanor attempted to protest before the admitting, "Yes … I guess everything is capable of that.

"In a way, it makes me feel relieved." Velvet stated, "The Seraphim have no right to look down on humans for backstabbing when they condemned half of their own and humanity to such a horrible fate."

Eleanor seemed relieved as she stated, "I guess for better or worse, Seraphim and humans are more alike than I would've thought."

"Hmm … At least the hot springs felt nice." Velvet needed to stop herself from laughing as she said, "At least until we ended up switching bodies with the guys."

"Ugh …" Eleanor's skin crawled as she attempted to hold herself, "Don't remind me. That's something I'd rather forget."

"Heh." Velvet chuckled, "I still remember how grossed out you were by Rokurou's muscles."

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned again, "I just said don't remind me."

"Heh. Heh." Velvet happily told her girlfriend, "Teasing you and Phi never gets old. I've missed doing this."

"I can't say that …" Eleanor began to say before cutting herself off "… Well I guess it isn't that bad …" Eleanor sighed, "It doesn't feel the same. A world without you … I … I just don't know how to move on from this. I've been trying to move on from one thing to another my whole life … At one point, I just started getting sick of it.

"I'm sorry Eleanor …" Velvet solemnly replied, "I can't give you any advice on how to move on or if it's even possible. 

"Yes … I know …" Eleanor replied. 

Velvet then told Eleanor, "My parents died shortly after Laphi was born, and I barely remember them. Celica was my guardian. When she died, it was only thanks to Artorius ... Arthur that I could move on from that … 

Eleanor could see where Velvet was going with this. "I see …

"Speaking of which does anyone else know yet?" Velvet asked.

Eleanor merely told her girlfriend, "The Prince, the Van Eltia crew, and the people at the Tavern know what happened. As far as the general public knows, Artorius and the other key figures in the Abbey are MIA." 

"A cover-up. Hardly surprising." Velvet remarked in a deadpan tone. Velvet looked and asked Eleanor in a concerned tone, "And you? Have you been able to return to some kind of normal life?"

Eleanor then informed Velvet, "The prince has helped clear my name. I'm no longer considered a traitor to the Abbey." Eleanor chuckled as she pointed out, "Not like the Abbey is going to last much longer anyway with how things are going. Anyway, the public will know of their deaths soon. They may never know the exact nature, but people already are suspecting that they're dead, so it won't be much of a shock."

"That should help ease things. So let me take a guess at what the 'official story' will be." Velvet changed the tone of her voice as she spoke, "It will go like this, 'They all either died or vanished to seal the 'Lord of Calamity' away, and you helped them do it. Is that about right?"

"…" Eleanor looked down before answering Velvet's question, "I don't know how the official story will work out, but I do think that is one way it might go. I kinda have a hard time caring what it'll be." Eleanor voiced sounded apathetic as she said, "It's not the truth. The rest of the world will never know the truth of you or your sacrifice. 

Velvet merely said, "I'm used to it. 

Eleanor shook her head, "I don't care if you're used to it. You shouldn't have to. You don't deserve this! You don't deserve to be called a monster after everything that's happened!"

"…" Velvet's eyes widened as she remained speechless.

The pair still remained back to back as Eleanor pulled her knees closer to her body as she said, "This isn't how I was hoping this 'reunion' would go."

"I'm sorry, Eleanor." Velvet apologized as she then pointed out, "Getting into the miserable territory has been an unfortunate gift of mine."

"Hmm …" Eleanor said the first thing that came to her mind, "There's nothing wrong with remembering the past. We can't change it nor should we if we could. The past make us who we are, and it's up to use to decide where we go from here. If we can learn from the past, we can avoid the same mistakes in the future."

Velvet sounded proud as she stated, "That was well said, Eleanor."

Eleanor replied, "I had a similar conversation with Edward earlier. I also thought about something else you did before the final battle with Innominat." 

Velvet raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Oh?"

Eleanor stated, "You had a chance to make a wish. That wish maker more or less stated that he 'could' change the past or something like that if you wanted him to, but you choose to send Jude and Milla back to their home world. You made it clear you thought it'd be wrong to change the past even if you could. I understand your point. As much as I'd like to change the past, it wouldn't be right. I'd have to think what would happened if we changed something. It's possible … No I think it things would've been worse than they are now. It's better to remember the past and accept it, but not let it hold you down like it did to Artorius. That's the only way we can ever hope to make progress."

Although Velvet remained looking away from Eleanor, she was smiling as she told her, "You've truly changed, Eleanor. It's hard to believe you're the same Eleanor I met in the village on the outskirts of Hellawes. 

Eleanor began to say, "Velvet …"'

Velvet cut off Eleanor with a confession, "For some time, I did my best to hate you Eleanor."

"I know …" Eleanor didn't hesitate to admit, "I did the same."

"When I did, it wasn't just because we were enemies nor because of Phi." Velvet looked at her 'human' hand as she told Eleanor, "It's because when I looked at you, I felt like I was looking at myself."

"…" Eleanor lacked the ability to reply.

"When I saw you … A spirited Exorcist who was naïve to the world at large but traveling it so you can help others, I couldn't help but wonder if you were a reflection of what I could've become." Velvet told Eleanor, "Before he became Artorius, I told Arthur that I wanted to become an Exorcist. I wanted to travel the world. I didn't used to be as selfish as I am now. Arthur was my teacher as well. I couldn't help but wonder if I would've ended up becoming like you or Oscar if I remained ignorant of what Artorius truly was."

"…" Eleanor took a moment before replying, "You're not the only one who's been thinking of the 'what ifs' Velvet. I think about that every day. Sometimes I realize how I would be dead if things had gone even a little differently. I could've been the one Artorius used for that Amartization experiment and gotten myself killed instead of Oscar. It's scary to think about the 'what ifs' but maybe we're not doing the right thing."

"Hmm?" Velvet also couldn't help but think of the possibilities.

"It's like I just said …" Eleanor firmly stated, "It's fine to reflect on things. Reflect on the past and how you changed. That's all good, but if we focus too much on those 'what ifs' you and find yourself trapped in a loop. Instead, we should try focusing on what happened. We're not reflections of each other. We're just two people who have a lot of similarities. Our paths crossed, and we eventually become allies and much more for better or worse. I may not like everything that happened, but I don't regret being on your side. I could 'never' regret it."

"Heh … That good nature of yours …" Velvet shook her head, "That's why I could never force myself to hate you. It still took a little too long to warm up to you."

"But you did warm up to me." Eleanor assured Velvet, "I think that's what's most important."

Velvet conceded, "I guess you're right."

Eleanor looked down as she stated, "Anyway, all this reflection did make me regret one thing I never actually said to you. Not directly anyway."

Velvet asked, "What is it?'

"Velvet," Eleanor looked up as she attempted to speak as clearly as possible, "I'm sorry that I basically called you evil incarnate. You truly weren't. You proved you weren't again and again, and I never apologized for it."

"There is nothing to …" Velvet began to say

Eleanor cut off Velvet as she stood up and strongly insisted, "There is 'everything' to apologize for. I remember how much I hurt you when I said that. I am sorry."

"…" Even though they remained back-to-back, Velvet stood up and took a moment before she replied, "Apology accepted."

"Thank you …" Eleanor then asked, "Velvet … if they tried to apologize to you now? Do you think you could ever forgive them?"

Velvet didn't need any clarification of what Eleanor meant. She took a breath as she told Eleanor, "A part of me would want to forgive them, but that's not possible. After everything that happened and everything they did, I cannot do it. I will not do it, especially since they had no regrets for what they did to me or anyone else. But at the same time …" Velvet held her chest and looked down as she said, "those two were my family. I still loved them, and I long for the days we spent together. I wish I could've found the cure to Laphi's illness like we did for Videl. I wish I knew what illness he had. I would've done anything to save him. If I could've done something, he never would've felt like sacrificing his life was the only way to give it meaning."

"That isn't on you Velvet." Eleanor insisted, "They choose to keep you in the dark about a lot of things. We saw it all in those 'Earth Pulse Memories'. Then you told me about how Artorius cut off your hand when you tried to stop them."

"…" Velvet didn't say a word.

Eleanor's voice had a taste of bitterness as she pointed out, "Your brother and Artorius made a promise. They said how they wanted you to live in a better world, but you ended up becoming their first victim instead, and they put you through hell. What happened?" Eleanor continued to voice her disbelief and distain with every question that came to her mind, "How did they go from wanting you to be happy to ruining your life? Did Artorius stop caring? Did they get so wrapped up in the moment they couldn't stop?" Eleanor's fingers curled into fists and gritted her teeth as she said, "Everything about this just makes my blood boil. If you hadn't already killed Artorius, I would punch him in the face a thousand times for what he did."

"Eleanor …" Velvet merely said, "That's enough …"

"…" The smoke in Eleanor's head seemed to clear as she attempted to calm down. She eased up as she said, "Yes … Sorry …"

"Don't be." Velvet seemed happy as she said, "Anyone can get angry. Even someone as great as you."

"When I die someday …" Eleanor hesitated to ask, "Will we still never have a chance to meet again …?"

"No." Velvet solemnly told Eleanor, "I'm sorry, but this is the fate I chose. I will live forever as the seal to Innominat, so no one will ever reawaken and use him again for their ends."

Eleanor looked down as she confessed, "I … I miss you, Velvet. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, Eleanor." Velvet stated, "I've seen you in my dreams, but it's not the same. It's not the real you. Nor is it the real adventure we were on. It's only a dream."

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Eleanor asked, "Can I ever wake you up? What can I do?"

"Magilou gave you some advice." Velvet repeated it, "Live for yourself. You don't have to live for your mom, me, or even Laphicet. You're your own person. You should live for yourself. You've done a lot of good for this world." Velvet grinned as she told Eleanor, "You can afford to be a little selfish."

"Then there is something that might require me to be a little selfish …" Eleanor spoke louder than the cracking sound that happened above them.

"What is it?" Velvet asked.

"Would you hate it if I became the new Shepherd?" Eleanor asked

Velvet asked, "Are you asking for my permission?"

Eleanor shook her head, "No." As she said that, another small crack could be heard, but it was hardly noticeable.

"Good." Velvet encouraged her, "Then go for it. Something tells me that position is something that needs to be filled. People will need hope to make progress, and I think that hope can be you." 

"I'm …" Eleanor stated, "I'm glad you feel that way. A part of me thought you might be upset."

Velvet assured Eleanor, "I wouldn't be upset just because you'll have to assume the same title as Artorius … That Arthur had. You are you. No one else. I know you'll do the right thing, and I'm sure you'll make me proud."

"Velvet …" Eleanor wanted to turn around, but she couldn't.

"However," Velvet snickered as she remarked, "I can't help but laugh at the irony. The person who wants to become the Shepherd is the former lover of the 'Lord of Calamity'. Two beings that are supposed to be mortal enemies actually weren't. I'm sure Magilou and Rokurou will have a field day with that."

"Eizen probably would too." Eleanor then stated, "Speaking of them, Magilou and Eizen seem supportive of the idea of me becoming the Shepherd."

Velvet didn't seem too surprised as she asked, "Is that right?"

"Yes." Eleanor stated, "I didn't really want this position at first because I felt … I felt like it should've died with Artorius after everything he did, but Laphicet came up with a really good argument that made me reconsider. However, if I take this position, I'll essentially be taking credit for the current peace. People will think I had a hand in sealing you away while it was you who actually sacrificed yourself."

"That doesn't bother me …" Velvet replied.

"Even if it doesn't, I will never forget it's a lie. However," Eleanor declared, "I will never forget the truth. We may never be able to meet again in another life, but I will never forget, and I'll make sure your sacrifice hasn't been in vain. I'll make sure no one ever remembers that Innominat ever existed. He will fade into history. The cycle of Innominat will never be remade."

Velvet immediately told Eleanor, "Don't let that be your only purpose in life."

"Don't worry." Eleanor assured Velvet, "I'll make sure to live for myself, too."

"Heh …" Velvet rhetorically said, "You really are a piece of work, you know that?"

Eleanor smiled as she said, "Would you have me any other way?"

Without hesitation, Velvet said, "No, I wouldn't." When Velvet said that, both Eleanor and Velvet heard a cracking sound.

"Huh?" Eleanor looked up.

"What's going on?" Velvet sounded as confused as Eleanor.

"You're not doing this, Velvet?" Eleanor asked.

Velvet remained calm as she replied, "Not this time."

Suddenly the dark environment surrounding them cracked to pieces. Suddenly, instead of being surrounded by complete darkness, they were surrounded instead by blue skies and a lush green meadow.

"This is …" Eleanor walked up a few steps before turning around and saying, "so much better. Right, Velvet?"

It took a moment for Eleanor to then realize, "Huh?" She had turned around to look at Velvet.

"Yes it …" Velvet instinctively turned around only to realize the same thing.

For the first time since they all began, Eleanor could fully see Velvet. Velvet looked exactly the same as when Eleanor last saw her. Velvet's clothing did not leave much to the imagination. Her hair was as long and wild as ever. She also still had her trademark bandaged arm. However, she could see that underneath the fierce exterior, was the good person she came to know.

"…" Both girls looked at each other in surprise by what just happened. After the moment passed, they both ran to each other and embraced.

"Velvet …" Eleanor leaned her forehead into Velvet's shoulder as she said, "I missed this."

"Me too, Eleanor," Velvet softly said as she held onto Eleanor's back tightly. "Me too."

"I don't care of if this is just for a moment, I'm so happy." Eleanor couldn't help but ask, "But why?"

"I couldn't say for sure, but maybe saving Edward helped." Velvet suggested.

"Nice to know saving Edward came with a great bonus." Eleanor happily said.

"Eleanor …" Velvet broke away from the hug and put both her hands on Eleanor's shoulders, "I'm not sure how much time we have left, so I'll make this quick."

"…" Eleanor wanted to say something, but she knew she needed to listen to what Velvet had to say.

"Eleanor … If you wish to become the Shepherd, you don't need my approval." Velvet assured Eleanor, "I know if you take the position, you'll do a good job. You'll do this the way they were meant to be done. You along with Laphicet will be able to heal and rebuild the world that I destroyed."

When Eleanor heard that, she instinctively reminded Velvet, "It wasn't just you, Velvet."

"Maybe, not but I still played my part. Anyway," Velvet leaned forward. Her forehead was touching Eleanor's as she told Eleanor, "I know you'll do me and Phi proud. Trust yourself. Believe in yourself. If you're having trouble with that, just remember that Phi and I already do.

"I love you Velvet." Eleanor said once more.

Velvet smiled as she told Eleanor, "I love you too."

The two closed their eyes, pressed their lips together, and shared one last kiss. It only lasted a moment, but that moment was all the time in the world they needed. It was the only moment they would ever have. Soon Eleanor would feel nothing by her anymore.

Velvet had vanished. When Eleanor opened her eyes, she was back at the edge of the cliff staring at to the ocean with her hair blowing in the wind. She was still in the same position she had been before.

"…" Eleanor remained sitting for a moment longer before she slowly placed her hand on her heart and said, "Thank you, Velvet …"

/

The following morning, Eleanor emerged from Velvet's old bedroom. She saw Magilou was sitting at the table with some notes sprawled on the table. When Magilou turned to face Eleanor, she noticed there was a slight change in the former Exorcist's appearance. It was enough to catch Magilou by surprise when she saw Eleanor.

"Oh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow. "Back to putting your hair in pigtails I see. I don't know if I should be disappointed or relived. I was starting to get used to seeing it straight like Velvet's."

"Indeed." Bienfu commented after he materialized, "Although it was a little messy."

"I've been stuck for a while now." Eleanor put her hand through her hair as she remarked, "It's time I started moving again."

Magilou leaned on the table as she said, "I see. I was hoping you'd say something like that. Things would've been way too boring if you stayed depressed and melancholy."

Eleanor stated, "I came back here because I wanted to say goodbye, and I've also come to a decision."

"Oh?" Magilou raised an eyebrow as she almost sounded eager.

"You're right that I can't live for someone else." Eleanor stated, "Velvet just told me the same thing. My mother and Velvet … They had their own lives and I have mine. I can't live their lives for them, but I can live for the promises I made to them. Promises that I will fulfill."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Magilou inquired.

"I guess it sorta can be, but I don't plan on letting those promises be the only thing that keeps me going." Eleanor clarified, "I thought being an Exorcist and serving the people was my calling, and I was partly right about that. My mom always taught me how helping is important and I promised her that I would always do the right by that. I also promised Velvet that I would take care of Laphicet. I promised myself that I would live my life to the fullest without regrets. I have an idea that might let me accomplish all three things at once."

"Really?" Magilou leaned forward as she said, "Now I really am interested. What is it?"

Eleanor declared, "I will take Artorius' place as the Shepherd."

"I'm sorry." Magilou put her hand by her ear a she asked, "Did I mishear you? I thought you just said you were going to become the Shepherd?"

"You heard right." Eleanor stated, "I've been thinking about what Laphicet, you guys, and Velvet said. Logically thinking, it should be possible. The prince cleared my name with the authorities and with his help, I shouldn't have much difficulty. It also helps that I'm one of the few Exorcists left with a resonance strong enough to perceive both Daemons and Seraphim.

"Hmmm …" Magilou did not offer a reply yet. She decided to give Eleanor a little more time to finish.

Eleanor continued, "Artorius used his position for his own ends, but I will use mine to help others. It'll always be easier to spread the world of 'Maotelus' existence, and I can also do what I can to make sure Innominat stays asleep forever. I'll do what I can to make the name a forgotten memory, so no one would ever think of trying to unseal him."

"…" That last part interested Magilou the most.

Eleanor concluded with, "Even if it means Velvet will remain sealed forever, that is something that needs to be done, so the cycle will forever remain broken. I believe becoming the Shepherd is my calling, but I will do it on my terms. Hopefully, others who wish to become the Shepherd after my time will have a better example to follow. I'll live my life by my choice, but it will also allow me to fulfill my promises, and I hope I can help lead people in the right direction. That is what I will do with my life."

"Hmph … You know what." Magilou looked fairly impressed, "That was actually a pretty decent speech, and I actually believe it."

Eleanor tilted her head, "Huh?"

Magilou pointed out, "Lots of people talk big or say a lot of mumbo jumbo they don't mean, but I think you actually mean it. 

"Heh." Eleanor then said, "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"As well you should." Magilou stated, "You're talking a big game, and you're one of the few I think will try to back it up. Velvet understood that about you too. That's probably one of the reason she liked you." 

"Yes …" Eleanor nodded, "Yes it was. I can say the same about her."

"By the way," Magilou stated, "I'm also interested in how you're going to use the word, 'Seraphim'."

"We know that's the proper name." Eleanor promised, "I will make sure people forget about the old term 'Malakhim' and begin referring to them by their proper name. It'll be a step in the right direction for all of us."

"That sounds like plenty of good writing material to me." Magilou stated as she twirled her pen and wrote something down on one of the notebooks.

"So what exactly are your writing?" Eleanor asked.

Magilou held up two fingers. "Two things. One real and one not real."

"Hmm …" Eleanor asked, "What's the 'not real' one?"

"It's not done yet, but," Magilou held up the notebook, "it's a story of two enemies who eventually became lovers. I think it'll probably end with a nice ending."

"Hmm …" It didn't take long for Eleanor to draw a conclusion, "So you'd like to know if I'd be okay with a book loosely based on me and Velvet that has a happy ending?"

"Well …" Magilou grinned as she said, "Bittersweet and downer endings aren't as appealing to potential customers. Sure they can work out based on their execution, but let's not get into that."

Eleanor sighed as she said, "Magilou is Magilou."

Magilou tilted her head, "Is that a problem?'

"No." Eleanor shook her head, "I don't think any of us would have you any other way."

"Quite right." Magilou tiled her hat as she stated, "You can't do better than the great witch Magilou Meyvein by your side."

"Hmph." Eleanor smiled as she playfully replied, "I'll take your word for it."

/

By the Aball village gate, Eleanor and Magilou received an unexpected reception when they both heard a familiar voice call out, "Glad to see I wasn't too late for this."

Eleanor turned her head to see Rokurou was standing by Eizen's side which caused Eleanor to exclaim, "Rokurou?!"

"Hey." Rokurou waved, "Ya miss me?"

Eleanor excitedly ran up to him as she said, "Of course! It's great to see you!"

"Wow." Rokurou was completely caught off guard as he remarked, "I didn't know you missed me that much. Ha. Ha."

"Don't give me that!" Eleanor nudged Rokurou's arm as she said, "It's been months you big jerk. How you been?"

"Oh you know," Rokurou casually replied, "homing my skills. Finding new Daemons to fight. All that good stuff. I heard that I missed out on an interesting fight."

"Believe me." Eleanor stated, "You wouldn't have liked it. Edward was mind controlled by one of Melchior's devices, and he was trying to hold himself back."

"I see." Rokurou quickly changed his tune as he said, "Then you're right. I'm glad I did miss out on that."

"Anyway," Eleanor asked, "How'd you get here?"

"By boat obviously," Rokurou then said, "but I was directed to come here after getting that Slyphjay message from Eizen and Magilou here. I heard that your name's up to become the new Shepherd."

Eleanor stated, "Actually, I just decided to ask the Prince to help make it possible."

"Great." Rokurou grinned as he put up his thumb and winked, "With his help, you'll be a shoe-in. Not like anyone there could step up since we pretty much killed your competition."

Eleanor's face twisted at the thought as she replied, "I wish you didn't say it like that. We didn't kill them just so I could become the Shepherd."

"You really need to word things better." Eizen remarked with his arms crossed.

"I know. I know." Rokurou then said, "Then I guess we can say it was just a happy coincidence that all our enemies just happened to be people who would've been your competition. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Am I right?"

"Ugh …" Eleanor groaned, "Not much better."

Eizen shook his head, "Honestly."

Even Magilou didn't seem to be amused as she rubbed her forehead.

"Anyway," Rokurou smiled as he stated, "I figured I'd come by and offer my support."

Eleanor asked, "You'd really want me to become the next Shepherd." 

Rokurou shrugged as he said, "Sure, why not? It's something you want, right?"

Eleanor nodded, "Yes."

Rokurou then replied, "Then, that's all I need to know. I'm pretty sure all of us feel the same way."

"Hey." Magilou playfully remarked, "Don't try to make this mushier than it has to be. Having her as the Shepherd will just make things more interesting."

"Say what you want." Eizen remarked, "It's also logical for Eleanor to become the next Shepherd. After everything she's seen she knows what the lies of the Seraphim have been like. She knows what the less fortunate people's lives have been like as well. She know what needs to be done."

Rokurou continued grinning as he remarked, "Sounds like you have their support, too."

"…" Eleanor looked at her companions before telling them, "Thanks everyone. It really means a lot to me."

Eizen shrugged, "I might not be able to do much, but just send a Slyphjay, and I'll see what I can."

Rokurou gave a thumbs up. "Same here."

Magilou grinned as she said, "Try to keep me entertained. I'm going to need some material for my writing after all."

"Heh …" Eleanor remarked, "When I started out as an Exorcist, I never would've thought in a million years I'd be mixed in a group like this. But now that I've seen what's happened, I'm glad that I did."

"…" The three remained silent.

Eleanor bowed her head as she graciously said, "I'm truly grateful to all of you as well as Laphicet and Velvet."

"Oh come on now." Magilou waved it off, "Is the Shepherd supposed to bow her head to the flock she's supposed to protect?"

Rokurou winked as she cheekily countered, "She's not the Shepherd yet."

Magilou replied, "Good point." 

Eizen grinned as he had his arms crossed and shook his head.

Eleanor remarked, "In that case, let's go about fixing that shall we?" Eleanor walked passed them and toward the gate as she said, "Let's go! After we pay Laphicet a visit, I think it'll be time to see what our favorite Prince is doing. Getting an appointment with him won't a problem for me."

Rokurou laughed as he said, "Spoken like a true Shepherd." 

"Let's get this show on the road." Magilou declared, "Magilou's Menagerie is back in business."

"Bien!" Bienfu materialized again as he said, "Maybe now we'll finally get to use that comedy routine I made up."

Eizen sounded strangely enthusiastic in his own way as he said, "You better make some good material for me." 

"Um …" Bienfu did not share the same passion. "That might be a little too hard." 

Rokurou stated, "Maybe you'll be able to scare the audience this time will make me laugh."

Eizen quickly countered, "It won't be a complete disaster like yours was."

As the banter between Bienfu, Eizen, and Rokurou was going on behind them, Magilou was next to Eleanor as they neared the gate. Magilou playfully sighed, "Ahh … Just like old times. Am I right?

"No." Eleanor shook her head, "Those were good times, but they'll always be in the past. This is something new. This time we are going to do something that will change the world and not just tear it down. A new world for people strive for." Eleanor put her hands on the gate, "It won't happen in our lifetime, but we're going to help settle down the right path."

"Oh really?" Magilou looked momentarily stunned, "Then by all means lead the way."

"I intend to." Eleanor turned to Magilou as she asked, "Mind helping me out with this?"

"Sure." Magilou put her hand on the gate as well.

With those words, Eleanor and Magilou pushed the village gate opened. When the gates opened, Eleanor walked over to her horse and held her reins as she walked back to the port with her friends. Friends she never would've imagined having over a year ago, but they were just a normal sight to her. A day like any other.

As they walked away from Velvet's village, Eleanor briefly looked over her shoulder before continuing forward. As they walked back, Eleanor thought back to Velvet. Eleanor looked up to the sky and saw a bird flying happily and free which caused her to smile.

" _Velvet … I'll come back someday."_ Eleanor made her promise to herself, _"I'm probably going to be busy for while, but I'll be sure to see you again. I'm going to … We're going to do what we can to rebuild this world and help make it better. I have no way of knowing how things will turn out, but I'm sure it'll be filled with ups and downs. I'll do what I can to make sure there are more 'ups'. Your sacrifice won't be in vain, Velvet. We're going to make sure of it. The future is ours to make once more, and we owe it all to you and Laphicet. We're going to make the most of it. I'll see you around, Velvet. Until next time."_

~Fin~

/

 **Author Notes** : The story has now been completed. I'm proud to say the "Sorrowful Peace" along with "Spoken & Unspoken Words" are finished. It is satisfying to see the stories I began reach their natural conclusion and say the quest has been put to rest.

It is hard to believe these stories are now finished. They have the honor of being the first fanfiction stories I completed while my other stories are still ongoing as of the end of 2018. Writing both of these "Tales of Berseria" stories has been a lot of fun. I started writing them solely because of how much I loved playing the game. Originally, the stories were going to be a chapter or two, but it just didn't work out that way. It made more sense to make them multi-chapter. I'm glad I did it because I felt it allowed the stories to develop more naturally.

Originally, I wasn't sure if Rokurou would appear at all in this story. One of the ideas I had for this story simply involved Eleanor leaving the village on her own. However, I figured it would be nicer for all the remaining party members to leave the village together. It made sense to me. Magilou and Eizen were already with her, and it wouldn't seem farfetched that they would send a message to Rokurou.

Thank you for your support, and I hope you will support my other stories as well. If you could provide more than one review for this story by also reviewing one of the preceding chapters, I would be grateful. Once again, I wish you a Merry Christmas 2018 and a Happy New Year.


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